Shadow Of The Day
by Vlaatjee
Summary: Forced to flee Mars because of a threat that cannot be defeated, the mice crashland on Earth. Unfortunately, it appears that Mars isn't the only planet invaded with Plutarkians. They meet Charley, the leader of a small community and resistance, who not only tries to survive but also to fight back. To stand up for humanity. For freedom.
1. Chapter 1

Hey you guys...

Yup, another story.  
My brain just practically forced it up to me.  
I tried, I really did everything within my power to finish up Lost In The Echo and Roads Untraveled first, but _damn you_ writer blocks.

Once again, I promise I will update them and not leave them unfinished, a thing I hate for myself too.  
I just don't know when...  
It's not always easy to have a creative brain.  
But I'm sure things will be okay in the end.  
There's gonna be one day that all of a sudden, a light goes on and I'll be like; Oooohhh, okay, took ya long enough, but hey, I like the idea, let's do this shit.  
But perfection takes time.  
Apparently, hehe.  
I don't wanna take the easy way out, ya know.  
That's just not who I am.

**Anyway.  
**New story.  
That comes with the usual disclaimers.  
1\. I do not own the Biker Mice From Mars.  
2\. English ain't my first language. I reread my chapters like a hundred times or so and I use two different spellcheckers.  
But still, I'm sure there will be mistakes.  
Sorry in advance.  
3\. Constructive criticism is welcome, burning me down to the ground, however, is not.

Well, that leaves me with only one thing to say;  
Enjoy and feel free to leave a review.  
As you probably all know by now; it's very much appreciated.

Later guys!

* * *

**Prologue  
**(chapter 1)

The heat was immense.  
The sun burned merciless on his head,  
The hot air he breathed almost burned the inside of his nose.  
Sweat streamed down his back.  
It made his skin itchy.  
Turned his tan fur a few tints darker.  
The penetrating smell of death was hanging in the air.  
He was tired.  
So tired.

With his eyes narrowed, an attempt to protect them against the warm wind, he looked at the battlefield in front of him.  
His hands tightened around the handlebars of his precious bike.  
His partner in crime.  
His comrade.  
Without his bike, he probably wasn't the man, or mouse in his case, he was nowadays.  
A leader.  
One where people could rely on.  
Calm.  
Wise.  
He'd come a long way.

But all of that didn't matter anymore.  
Because they were right all along.  
Victory had never been this far away.  
And nothing, absolutely nothing, could draw it closer.  
Could lure it out to make it theirs.  
Mars was lost.  
And everyone who was still fighting for freedom was marked by death.

It was time.  
Their fight was about to come to an end.  
One once told him that death was peaceful.  
That only death knew the peace where he was so desperately fighting for.  
The peace that the living would never find.  
He forced himself to believe it.  
To keep away the fear.  
He wasn't scared of dying.  
But watching everybody around him die…  
..._that's_ what terrified him.

His gaze landed on a white-furred mouse.  
Then on a grey-furred mouse.  
His bro's.  
His family.  
Both fighting for their lives.  
Fighting for freedom.  
For Mars.  
Both knowing that it was a losing battle.  
But determined to fight till the bitter end.

His tan-furred tail lashed through the air.  
He couldn't watch them die.  
The thought alone was enough to make him feel sick to the stomach.  
To make him feel anxious like never before.  
But he was a leader.  
A captain.  
And a captain always goes down with the ship.  
A captain never leaves the ship before his crew, his family, was being safe.  
Or dead.

All of a sudden, a glimmer on his right caught his attention.  
Broke him out of his thoughts.  
He turned his head to look at what it was.  
A shiver went down his spine.  
Were his eyes deceiving him?  
No.

Perhaps there was still a chance.  
Not at victory, though.  
That was one that got away.  
But he might be able to save what was left to be saved.  
To take care of the ones he loved.

_There's only one god and his name is Death.  
__And there's only one thing we say to Death…_

"Not today."  
A shaking, with red dust stained hand reached to his helmet and closed his visor.  
With the warm wind now locked out, he activated the radio.  
"Pull back. I repeat, pull back."  
His usual already husky voice was even raspier now.  
His mouth and throat as dry as the Martian desert he was now standing in.  
The things he would do for water…

But there was no time.  
Time was never on their side.  
Certainly not now.  
The warm wind was death himself breathing down their neck.  
He was a leader where people could rely on.  
Time to live it up, once again.  
He took a deep breath.  
"We are not gonna die today."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey you guys.

Thank you so much for the reviews!

So, here's the first real chapter of the story.  
Enjoy and feel free to leave a review, I'm dying to know what you guys think of it.

Ciao!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_There's no peace.  
__Only war.  
__It will not cease.  
__Only grow._

_Two hours earlier...  
_With shrieking brakes, the bike came to a halt.  
Her rider, a grey-furred male Martian Cave Mouse, opened the visor of his helmet.  
To take a good look at what he was seeing.  
And when he realized where he was looking at, his heart dropped.  
It seemed like a logical response.  
But those who were close to the gray-furred mouse knew it was everything but logical.  
Because he was no mouse to frighten easily, nor was he easily impressed.  
He was a well-trained soldier.  
One of the best.  
But seeing what was coming even gave the experienced mouse the chills.

For a moment, he just stood there, his body completely frozen.  
He was almost mesmerized by the sight.  
Perhaps shocked was a better word to describe it.  
Then, he slowly lifted his bionic arm and pushed the button on his helmet to activate the radio.  
"Modo to Stoker, over."  
His voice was deep. Like a baritone.  
It matched his impressive appearance; big, muscular and scarred.  
The picture-perfect image of a soldier who had seen it all.  
Up until now, that is.  
His right eye, that wasn't covered with an eyepatch like his left eye, scanned the surrounding.  
As he took in the upcoming treat, his heartbeat rose and goosebumps spread across his body.  
"_Stoker for Modo, what's your status, over."  
_The grey-furred soldier took a deep breath.  
"Sound the alarm. Right now. We got a code red… over."

...

War strategies.  
A subject one could talk about for hours and still have the feeling that there was something missing.  
It was more than frustrating.  
The responsibility that came with being a leader could be suffocating sometimes.  
But the tan-furred mouse was used to it, and he carried this responsibility with him with pride.  
It wasn't easy, but no one ever said that being a leader was simple.  
Placing his hands on the table, he leaned forward and gazed at the map through his customized spectacles.  
He knew where the enemy was hiding.  
Now all he needed to do was to come up with a plan to lure them out and take them down.  
That was the theory anyway.  
A theory which portrayed simplicity, but make no mistakes.  
Because in reality, a plan to attack was the antithesis of simple.  
The plan had to be rock solid, otherwise, there would be too much collateral damage.  
Too many lives would be put at risk.

All of a sudden, his heart skipped a beat.  
War strategies.  
It was nearly impossible to come up with a good plan.  
But the tan-furred mouse now saw one.  
It started to form in his head as his bionic eyes scanned the map.  
But right before he could get a grip on it, the sound of a siren broke the silence.  
He closed his eyes for a moment as he let out his breath.  
Dammit.  
So close.  
He had been so close…

The radio, which he always carried with him everywhere he went, came to life.  
"_Stoker to Throttle, over."  
_With his eyes still fixed on the map, the tan-furred mouse brought the radio to his mouth.  
"Throttle for Stoker, over."  
His brains were still desperately trying to bring back the fragments of that's what's called a plan.  
"_Code red, rookie. Get the teams ready, pronto. Stoker out."  
_The tan-furred mouse slowly lowered the radio, the plan already gone up in smoke.  
It wasn't necessary anymore.  
There was no need to lure them out and take them down.  
No, not anymore.  
Code red.  
The enemy was about to attack the base.

...

Push-ups.  
Squads.  
Burpees  
Planking.  
It wasn't that hard to tell how the white-furred mouse got his perfectly well trained and muscular body.  
For a mouse who lived in a war, it was essential to be in good shape.  
A mouse needed to make sure that he could outrun the enemy, that he could beat them before they got the chance to beat him.  
In a nutshell: being in good shape could save lives.  
For the majority of soldiers, this was a good enough reason to keep their body healthy and strong.  
For the young mouse, however, it was nothing more but an additional advantage.  
If one would ask him why he was this devoted, his answer would be plain and simple;  
'_To impress __the ladies.'_

The white-furred mouse placed his hands on the ground and pushed himself up.  
Once in a handstand, he shifted his weight to his right hand.  
This exercise required more than just strength.  
Focus was even more important.  
He bit his lower lip in concentration, trying very hard to focus on staying focussed.  
Truth to be told, focus and concentration weren't the white-furred mouse his best qualities.  
And yet, he managed to keep his balance.  
Slowly, his left hand let go off the ground…

Maybe focus wasn't that important after all.  
The will to do whatever it takes to be the best was sufficient.  
But the sound of a siren broke him out of his already fragile concentration and as a result, his body toppled over.  
His long tail lashed through the air, a last and feeble attempt to keep his balance, but the damage was already done and he landed on his back with a loud thump.  
"_Throttle to Vinnie, over."  
_The white-furred youngster jumped at his feet, his eyes searching for the radio.  
Finally, he found it under a big pile of flares and grenades.  
How the hell that thing ended up there was both a mystery as no surprise at all.  
"Vinnie van Victory for Fearless Leader, over."  
There was a short silence and he knew, he just knew, his leader and bro was rolling his bionic eyes now.  
He happened to have that effect on others, sometimes.  
"_Get ready, we've got a code red, over."  
_A big grin almost split his face in half.  
The silver mask, that was covering the scars on the right side of his face, moved along with every movement like a second skin.  
Code red.  
Oh yeah.  
It was time to party.

...

Modo rushed through the barren desert, pushing his beloved bike to the limits.  
The engine purred like a Martian Squirrel Bat being fed, having no trouble to work this hard in this heat.  
Because it was _hot_. It always was.  
At day, that is.  
The nights were long, cold and full of solitude.  
If Modo had to choose, he preferred the heath without hesitation.  
He hated the cold. The darkness.  
Most of all, he hated the deafening sound of silence that came with the loneliness.  
Perhaps that was because it didn't match with his warm personality.  
Because he may look threatening, his heart was one made in gold and therefore, he didn't do well on his own.  
He was a people person, well… in his case a mice mouse.  
His soft spot for women and children was the only thing that made him one dangerous mouse.  
Because beware for those who insulted or mistreated a child or woman in his presence.  
That lit his rage to unknown heights.  
And even if it didn't happen that often, when it did, one could better run.  
Run and hide.

But right now, he was the one who was on the run.  
It was sheer terror that chased him, hunted him down to drive this fast back to the base.  
Because he'd seen the threat that was coming their way.  
A threat he knew they couldn't defeat.  
Then again, it wasn't that there was a choice.  
They didn't have the luxury to choose their fate.  
Their fate was already sealed ever since the first day of the war.  
You fight to protect what's yours.  
Or you die trying.  
There was nothing in between.

...

Throttle hastened through the small hallways of their base.  
The base that was home to the Freedom Fighters.  
A group of rebels, founded by Stoker.  
The last group of Martian Cave Mice standing.  
Mars her last hope.  
The rest was fallen.  
All of them.  
Army.  
Government.  
The Guardians of Peace.  
The Believers.  
The non-Believers.  
Everybody.  
All gone.  
It was up to the Freedom Fighters to save Mars of damnation.  
They had their losses.  
They had their victories.  
The enemy was gaining ground, that he knew.  
But giving up wasn't in the nature of Martian Cave Mice.  
So they fought back with everything they had in them.  
For years already.

But Throttle had a bad feeling about this one.  
He couldn't fully explain why, but the sirene, which usually did nothing to him, now made a shiver running down his spine.  
He felt distress, maybe even fear.  
As he made his way to the garage, he tried to shake off this unpleasant feeling and gave orders to everyone he encountered at the same time.  
The message was loud and clear.  
All hell's about to break loose.  
Prepare yourself to die.

...

Vinnie snatched a backpack from under his bunk and threw all the weapons he owned in it.  
In a way, he had the unexplainable feeling that he needed to take everything with him.  
Well, not entirely unexplainable.  
One once told him that he had a slightly disturbing obsession with armaments.  
He himself liked to call it… a passion.  
Too much was never enough, that was his motto.  
But there was this inexplicable urge to gather everything that he owned, everything next to his armory.  
That wasn't much, though.  
He'd lost about all he had in the war.  
Weapons, however…  
Weapons, he had plentiful.

So it didn't really came as a surprise that soon, the backpack was full.  
His ruby red eyes looked at the remaining pile of grenades.  
Then, he looked at the backpack.  
Decisions, decisions…  
One who lived in war had to deal with complex dilemmas like this almost daily.  
The one more difficult than the other, of course, but that's another story.  
The white-furred youngster then shrugged and threw out the rest of his belongings to use the space for more weapons and ammo.  
A mouse needs to set priorities.  
With the backpack on his back, he collected the leftover grenades and with his arms full, he started his journey to the garage.  
He might die today.  
But not without a fight.  
Hell no.  
If today was his time to leave this strange world, he would go down in a blaze of glory.  
Biker Mice style.

...

Modo sped through the front gates of the base, yelling over his shoulder to the guards they needed to close them and let them stay closed till further notice.  
They saluted and did what he said, but the gray-furred mouse was already gone.  
After crossing the big courtyard, he entered the garage and his bike skidded to a halt, right in front of Throttle.  
Modo pulled off his helmet and looked his friend and leader into his, behind glasses hidden, eyes.  
"Modo, bro, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost", the tan-furred mouse asked worriedly when he saw the pale skin shining through his friends grey fur.  
"I kinda did. Oh, momma, I've never seen anything like that", Modo panted, wiping off his forehead.  
Throttle's worry grew. The fear on his friends face made him more than uncomfortable.  
To be honest, he had never seen Modo this scared.  
Usually, the person that was the casualty of the grey-furred giant's rare anger looked like this.  
And it only confirmed what he was already thinking: something was very, very wrong.  
"There's an army coming this way, an army ten times bigger than the whole Freedom Fighter group. Plutarkians. Rats. Sand Raiders…"  
Modo swallowed with difficulty and grabbed Throttle's arm in an iron grip.  
"They have _Memphants_, bro. Memphants."  
Throttle's eyes grew big behind his glasses.  
"What? But I thought Memphants were extinct…"  
"We all thought that, but I saw it with my own eye. They have at least fifty of them."  
A pang of fear made Throttle's heart skip a beat.  
And another one.  
Memphants.  
Giant animals, with claws as sharp as razor blades, teeth even sharper and jaws strong enough to bite a Martian Mouse in half without putting some real effort in it.  
"Are you sure?", another voice came from behind him and Stoker joined them, his brown fur bristled, his metal tail twitching.  
Modo nodded.  
"I may not be the smartest, but I ain't blind. I saw it. We're in for some serious trouble, coach."  
"Good! I was starting to get bored around here."  
All three of them looked up at the white-furred mouse who entered the garage. His face was hidden behind the huge pile of grenades that was in his arms.  
But the tone in his voice gave away his excitement and they all knew him well enough to know that he was having a smile as big as the Cheshire cat chiseled on his face.

When Vinnie reached his cherry red racing bike, he dropped the armory on the floor as if it weren't bombs that could go off by the tiniest vibration.  
The trio flinched and covered their heads with their arms, which was nothing more but a reflex as much as it was the most weak attempt to protect themselves in case one would go off.  
As if arms made of fur, flesh and bones could protect them against the force of an explosion, or the burning heat of flames.  
Throttle was the first one who peeked through his fingers, only to see that his youngest bro wasn't even close to being impressed and was now trying to figure out a way how to carry all the weapons with him on his bike.  
"You've got enough firepower, punk?", Stoker asked his youngest pupil sarcastically.  
"Hmmm, not sure. But my bike is only so big…", the white-furred mouse mused, rubbing his chin.  
They all three rolled their eyes at the same time.  
If this whole scene had taken place under any other circumstances, it would've been funny.  
But there was no reason to smile, no, not even close.  
And it was time that the white-furred loudmouth was informed about the gravity of the situation.  
"Vinnie, this is serious, man", Throttle started didact, and he told what Modo had seen.  
Vinnie froze when he heard_ 'army ten times as big'_.  
His eyes grew big when he heard _'Plutarkians, Sand Raiders and rats'_.  
His mouth fell open when he heard _'Memphants'.  
_He then looked at the three most important mice in his life and put a finger in the air.  
"So, lemme get this straight. You're telling me that there's an entire platoon of stinkfish coming this way, along with the remains of the Martian Population, besides us of course, and some big ass beasts to attack the base, that there's no way we can defeat them and therefore there will be chaos, panic and disaster before we're all gonna get killed?"  
"That's pretty much it, yeah", Throttle nodded.  
Vinnie now rubbed his chin, a thoughtful frown between his brows.  
But that soon changed and a grin so big appeared on his face.  
"Aaaaooww, sounds like life as I love it!", he cheered with his high pitched voice and he pumped his fist in the air.  
"Come on, bro's, why the long faces? Being bored to death ain't our way to die, man!"

Modo looked at Throttle, who looked at Stoker in return.  
The brown furred leader of the resistance tabbed with a finger against his forehead, to make clear that in his humble opinion, the white-furred adrenaline junkie finally had lost his mind.  
He himself wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty either, he even loved it to have a good fight from time to time, but this was different.  
There was an actual chance that they might lose this one.  
And oh boy, he was such a sore loser.  
Even worse, this could be the end of them.  
The end of Mars.  
Sighing heavily, he grabbed his radio.  
"I'll inform Carbine."

...

"I need snipers on the walls, along with a few men with bazookas. A group of five will defend the doors. The rest will drive out. Maybe we can stop them before they reach the base", a light grey-furred female mouse barked at the soldier who was waiting for orders.  
The young male saluted and quickly rushed away to pass it through.  
The female marched over to the four males.  
"Carbine", Stoker nodded when she joined them.  
"Stoker. Boys. Tell me, how long before they're here?", she immediately came to business.  
"I think less than an hour, ma'am. Despite their numbers, they're moving pretty fast…", Modo answered polity because that's what he was.  
Carbine thought about it, but when her gaze landed on Vinnie, she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.  
"And what in the hell do you think you're doing?", she spit out.  
The white-furred mouse, who was loading his bike full with weapons, froze.  
He then looked over his shoulder, a shocked look on his face.  
"I'm preparing myself for battle, what else?"  
"Turning your bike into a bomb on wheels is not what I consider as proper preparation!"  
Vinnie looked at his bike and then back at Carbine, now shocked that she could even say something like that.  
"What? Too much?"  
Carbine threw her hands in the air in frustration because of the ignorance of this young mouse.  
"By all means, do your thing. Why should I even care if you ride into battle with a bike being as susceptible as a goddamn land mine? Heck, you probably pull it off too, knowing you. And knowing my luck, you ain't that easy to get rid of."  
Some might feel offended by these hard words, but not Vinnie.  
'Not easy to get rid of' was, next to music to his oversized ears, one of the biggest compliments you could give him.  
He, therefore, shot her one of his most charming smiles, to show her his gratitude.  
"What can I say? It's a gift, doll."

Carbine clenched her fists, being too close to losing her patience.  
It was no secret that she wasn't that fond on the young white-furred mouse.  
She was one who had discipline. One who lived her life with, how she liked to call it herself, military precision.  
He, on the other hand, was a loose cannon.  
Many times already, he had caused dangerous situations whereby not only his life but also those from many others were put at risk.  
If it was her calling the shots, he was long gone already. But not only she wasn't the leader, Stoker apparently saw something in the kid and since he was the one who was leading this whole, in her eyes, bunch of misfits, the young mouse was free to stay.  
Times were hard for the former General.  
But the army was gone. All there was left were the Freedom Fighters.  
And because sitting still and doing nothing while the world she once knew was fallen apart was not her cup of tea, the choice had been made for her.  
If she wanted to fight, wanted to do something useful instead of running or dying, the Freedom Fighters were her only and last option.  
So she had joined them.  
That was a few years ago now and still, she wasn't able to get used to their, sometimes sloppy, way of working.  
But by the looks of things, her suffering would soon come to an end.  
Death was close and in light of that fact, the light grey-furred female decided the young mouse wasn't worth her now precious time.  
So, she took a deep breath and focussed her attention at Stoker.  
"Everybody is ready if you are. You only have to say the word."

The brown furred mouse nodded as a shadow flickered across his face.  
His eyes wandered through the garage, watching with a heavy heart how all the Fighters were getting themselves ready.  
Every single one of them he had selected on both skills and willingness to do the right thing.  
He knew them all, and not only by name. Everything that was needed to know, he knew.  
They were important to him.  
All of them.  
They were his responsibility.  
His family.

When his gaze landed on Throttle, Modo and Vinnie, his heart ached even more.  
He wasn't one that played favorites, nor he told lies.  
So truth to be told; these three had a special place in his heart.  
As much as he hated to admit it, he was getting old.  
And for those who were living in a war for so long, settling down and having kids was out of the question.  
But these three… they felt like the sons he never had.  
He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't go around the fact that there was something special about them.  
The three of them working together was the perfect mix with deathly Martian thunder as a result.  
Many battles were won because of them.  
Won in the name of Mars.  
And now…  
Now he was gonna send them out to die.

But it soon didn't matter anymore.  
Because soon, Mars was going down.  
Soon, Mars would be gone.  
Later on, Mars would be forgotten.  
There would be nothing left.  
Not even history books to tell their stories, to keep their legacy alive.  
No trace of what remains, no stones to mark the graves.  
Nothing.  
His gaze eventually landed on Carbine's face.  
And after taking a deep breath, he gave the signal.  
"Let's rock and ride, ladies and gentlemice. Mars needs us."

...

The sound of silence.  
It was deafening.  
Strange, how the sound of nothing could press against the eardrums.  
How it even managed to produce a nagging headache.  
The Freedom Fighters were lined up a couple of miles away from the base.  
It was an impressive sight, but not seen by those who were standing there, in the sizzling heat, waiting for death himself to take them away.  
Nobody said a word.  
All were being consumed by the flashing images of their own lives in front of their eyes.  
Moments of joy.  
Moments of misery.  
The mistakes they made.  
Love.  
Friendship.  
War.

Throttle opened his bionic eyes as he slowly let out his breath.  
Seeing the cloud of dust in the distance, announcing the by Modo called Army of Death, he felt unusually calm.  
The fear was gone and for now, there was only resignation.  
He'd lived his life the fullest.  
Of course there were mistakes. Things he wished he'd done differently.  
He glanced at Carbine for a moment, but then looked back at the cloud of dust.  
Mistakes were part of life, whether one liked it or not.  
How to deal with your mistakes took precedence over making them.  
There was a lot you could say about the tan-furred mouse, but one thing was for sure; he'd learned from his mistakes.  
His whole life, he'd at least tried to do the right thing.  
And therefore, he was now standing here with pride.

Modo looked up to the sky, his heart now calm again.  
Once a mouse accepted his upcoming death, there was no space left for fear.  
There was, in his case, only love.  
Although the love came with sadness.  
Sheer sadness about the ones he had lost.  
His sister.  
His cousin.  
His nephew.  
His father.  
And on top of it all…  
His beloved mother.  
Everything he'd done in his life was to make his mother proud of him, before and after her tragic death.  
He was everything she once stood for.  
And therefore, he was now standing here with pride.

Vinnie leaned forward on his bike, drumming his fingers on the windshield.  
His body had started to produce adrenaline from the moment he'd heard that siren.  
That was now, give or take, an hour ago, and the level in his blood was now raised to an extraordinary height.  
Therefore, he was restless.  
More than restless.  
His heart fluttering in his chest, every muscle in his body tight as a drum, his breathing shallow, it all meant only one thing; his whole body was ready to rumble.  
Body and mind.  
There was no looking back, only forward.  
The only thing that mattered was what was to come.  
The past is the past and there's nothing a mouse could do about it.  
That was how he lived his life.  
And that was how would die.  
He was the youngest member of the Freedom Fighters.  
One of the best, too.  
That was nothing more but a fact.  
It was a status he'd worked hard for because he knew hard work paid off.  
And therefore, he was now standing here with pride.

Loud drums echoed over the stretched out desert, announcing the presence of the rats.  
It was an ancient war ritual in their culture, known for over more than a thousand years. A technique used to strike fear into the hearts of their enemy.  
A successful technique it was.  
The sound was more than terrifying.  
Modo wasn't kidding when he said this army was a big threat.  
The Martian desert was big.  
Humongous.  
But the army that was marching towards them did manage to make it feel small.  
All of a sudden, the desert became claustrophobic.  
The threat breathed by the army took away all the oxygen.  
More than over a thousand pair of feet, fins and paws stamping in the red sand made the ground trembling.  
It made the mice more than nervous.  
Who knew what was gonna happen?  
They all assumed the worst, no exception.  
So perhaps a proper goodbye was in place now.

"Well, bro's, it's been surreal", Vinnie said while looking at the army that was coming closer and close, for once being serious.  
"It was both an honor and pleasure to fight side by side with you guys", Throttle told his two comrades who were lined up next to him.  
"Same goes for me. You two are the closest that comes to family in this world that's turned upside down", Modo agreed and he raised his fist.  
"May we meet again."  
"May we meet again", Throttle and Vinnie answered in unison as they bumped their fists against Modo's.  
Bro's forever, till death do them part.

Stoker sat on his bike and watched the group of Freedom Fighters at his left.  
His family.  
His legacy, no matter if it would live on or not.  
Determination was written on their faces, but fear was seen in their eyes.  
They were willing to die for their planet.  
Each one of them was brave.  
More than brave.  
But no one ever said that looking death straight into the eye was easy.  
Seeing it stare back was even more terrifying.  
Fear walked hand in hand with devotion.  
One could not be brave without being scared.  
The brown furred leader now looked at his right, seeing how the Army of Death came closer and closer.  
Letting out his breath, he closed his eyes for a moment.  
It was time.

His eyes flew open as he revved his bike, the engine roared loudly when he opened the gas.  
Driving by his lined up comrades, he cleared his throat.  
"Freedom Fighters! Once again, Mars needs us. Once again, we're forced to fight for our freedom. Fighting for our right to live. Our right to exist!"  
Every mouse he came across, he looked straight in the eye.  
To let them know he truly believed in them.  
That he was grateful for having them fighting by his side.  
To thank them for being brave.  
"So we will fight! And we're gonna do that together! Because we are Martian Mice! And we are born to ride free..._ together_! Enemies may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!"  
The whole group was cheering at the brown furred leader who was now at the end of the line.  
He turned around and once stopped in front of the whole group, he could see how everybody was getting all hyped up.  
Good.  
"We may die today. But when we do, at least we died fighting for our right to exist! For our freedom! And death is the only thing that can stop us! We don't run! We don't hide! Because when the going gets tough..."  
"... the tough whip's tail!", the whole group roared in unison.  
"That's right!", and Stoker popped a wheelie as he pumped his fist in the air.  
"It may be the last time I'll say this, but fuck that..."  
After turning his bike on only his rear tire, he now faced death.  
But no time to be afraid.  
It was time.  
His bike landed on its front tire again as he took a deep breath.  
"Freedom Fighters... _ATTACK_!"

And so they did.  
Hollering loud, with the sound of more than over a hundred engines roaring loudly on the background, the Freedom Fighters drove straight towards the enemy.  
Determined to win.  
Prepared to die.  
For Mars.  
For freedom.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey you guys...

Thank you so much for the reviews.  
**SpaceFlora**; a special thanks for you, I was very humbled by your kind words and your enthusiasm warmed my heart.  
Thank you for that.

So, next chapter.  
Enjoy and feel free to leave a review.

Thanks for supporting me.  
Till next time, my loyal readers!

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Silence, like a cancer, grows…_

Strange, how despite the roaring engines, hollering mice, growling Memphants and screaming enemies, it was silence that prevailed right before the good and the bad collided.  
It was no longer than a split second, but it was there.  
For a moment, one could only hear its own breathing.  
It was soon joined by the soft sound of blood rushing to its brains.  
A ticking sound.  
Time.  
Time slowed down.  
Tick… tock…  
Muscular contractions as a result of a body preparing itself for impact.  
Eyes narrowed as they locked with the enemy.  
The enemy who was hell-bent on their destruction.  
Teeth clenched because of pure hatred.  
...tick...  
...tock…

_...silence..._

Collision came with the sound of Martian thunder so loud.  
The sprawling desert carried the sound miles away, only to vanish into thin air.  
Time took a leap forward now.  
As if it was trying to catch up on the delay before impact.  
The sound of silence was now chased away by the one of violence.  
One had no time to think, not anymore.  
Hatred, determination and adrenaline clouded the brain.  
Only one thing to do.  
Fight.  
Only one thing to make it stop.  
Death.

"AAAOOOWW! You're messing with Vinnie van Wham, baddest mamma jammer from this side of the asteroid belt!"  
The white-furred mouse was standing on his bike, holding a laser gun in each hand and he shot everyone who dared to come close at his sides.  
Still able to have fun, despite the gravity of the situation, because that's just who he was.  
Needing the adrenaline to feel alive, the more, the better.  
His rare moment of seriousness, the one he had right before hell broke loose, already long gone in the wind.  
His bike, his best friend, drove full speed through the Army of Death, firing her laser to clear the path that was in front of her.  
Two peas in a pod, him and his bike.  
Fighting a war with style.  
Biker Mice style.  
Everything else forgotten.  
Eyes down to avoid the burning gaze of death himself.  
Living in the moment, as he always did.  
Don't think.  
Just act.

A load roar behind him made his fur bristle. It was a sound he had never heard before and his body told him what it meant; imminent danger.  
For some that would be a reason to panic, but not for the white-furred daredevil.  
Although he had to admit, the sound made him curious, but just when he was about to look over his shoulder and without any warning, his bike suddenly stopped.  
All this happened in nothing more but a split second.  
There was no time to prepare. No time to brace himself.  
Vinnie got catapulted forward, his tail did one last desperate attempt to grab the windshield of his bike to avoid a nasty fall, but he missed. The red sand which defined the Martian desert came closer and closer and he quickly turned his fall into a more controlled landing.  
His shoulder touched the ground first and he made himself small, even wrapped his tail around his right leg.  
The speed wich with he was falling, along with gravity, took care of the rest and after a few head rollers, he landed hard on his back and finally came to a halt.  
But even if he'd managed to take over control, the landing still knocked the wind out of him.  
"Ah man…", he panted, forced to lay still for a moment, to give his body the time it needed to recover.  
A mouse could not fight without air in his lungs.  
But, as mentioned before, time was never on their side.  
Not for those who were living in a war.  
And certainly not on a battlefield.  
A shadow fell over him.  
Something dripped on his helmet.  
It was too thick to be water, to thin to be blood.  
Slowly, the white-furred mouse looked up and his eyes grew big.  
Sharp teeth.  
Black fur.  
Red eyes that stared back at him.  
_Memphant_.  
The beast was enormous.  
Spit out of hell by the devil himself.  
His mouth was just inches away from Vinnie's face and even if it was only half open, the word '_big'_ still didn't cover it.  
Its breathing fogged the visor of his helmet and the youngest member of the Freedom Fighters now understood that it was no water that dripped on his helmet, nor it was blood.  
It was drool.

Still gasping for air, he tried to get his body into movement, but it was no use.  
The beast now fully opened its mouth and roared loudly.  
Its breath was even warmer than the wind that was already going through his snow-white fur. Even the high-tech helmet he was wearing, specially designed for a Martian Cave Mouse, couldn't keep out the smell, the smell of rotten meat.  
The smell of death.  
The white-furred adrenaline junkie wasn't that easily impressed, but even he couldn't stop the chill that went down his spine.  
But make no mistakes, it wasn't because he was scared.  
It was because things didn't go according to plan.  
This was_ not_ his idea of dying in a blaze of glory.  
The beast opened its mouth again and came closer, all ready to bite off the head of this creature that was lying helplessly at its feet, completely at its mercy.  
And unfortunately for the white-furred mouse, mercy was one thing this life form did not know.  
Vinnie squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself…  
But all of a sudden, the Memphant roared again and he felt warm splatters landing on his fur.  
The roar sounded different this time and his eyes flew open, still expecting to see the inside of a mouth, still expecting to feel sharp teeth around his neck any moment now... but all he saw was the clear pink sky.  
All he felt was his heart racing in his chest and the heat of the sun burning on his fur.  
And then, even more suddenly, his body was recharged, all ready to move again.  
With the speed of light, Vinnie jumped at his feet and looked wildly around him.  
Fists clenched, every muscle tight like a drum, all ready to rumble.  
His ruby red eyes eventually landed on the Memphant, that was now lying on the ground with a hole the size of a Martian Mellon in its head.  
One didn't need to have knowledge about Memphants to see that the beast was dead.  
A bike came to halt with shrieking brakes and the white-furred youngster felt a hand on his shoulder.  
"You okay, bro?", Modo's deep voice filled his ears and relief now rushed through his veins.  
Talk about good timing.  
"Slick save, bro", Vinnie breathed as he looked to his right, straight into the worried face of his older bro, for once not even bothered by the blood that was now stuck in his usual snow white fur.  
"That coming from you is saying something", the grey-furred giant answered drily. "I'll cherish this moment forever, for however long that may be."  
A sudden movement in the corner of his one eye caught his attention.  
His brain registered too late that it was a rat attacking them.  
But right before the black furred enemy reached them, he suddenly dropped on the floor to never rise again.  
Both Vinnie and Modo now looked to their left, only to see Stoker driving by, spinning the still smoking gun around his right finger with a smugly smile.  
"Teatime is over, rookies."  
Vinnie's lips curled into a smile as he shared an amused look with Modo.  
"Can't argue with that, bro", and he whistled between his teeth.  
His bike, luckily not that damaged, stopped next to him and he jumped back in the saddle.  
Popping a wheelie, he fist bumped with Modo.  
"Let's knock 'em till we drop 'em!"  
And they threw themselves into chaos again.

A little further away from them, Throttle was having his hands full with a group of Sand Raiders. The dog looking creatures may look stupid, but when in big groups, they were actually hard to defeat.  
And since they came with the whole pack, including Plutarkians and rats, well…  
Even one of the most experienced and best soldier of the Freedom Fighters was having a hard time bringing them down.  
Soon, he was completely surrounded, but the tan-furred mouse remained calm.  
One very wise once told him that panic never helped anyone.  
A phrase he believed to be true.  
The Sand Raider on his right tried to jump on him, but he quickly lashed out with his fist. His knuckles made contact with the nose of the drooling, stupid looking creature and a loud crack was heard. The dog let out a shrill screech before his body landed on the ground with a loud thump, already unconscious or maybe even dead.  
It was a nice move if he may say so himself.  
But the friends of the unfortunate fellow were not impressed, in fact, it made them even angrier. The one on Throttle's left let out a loud growl, a sign to attack and the whole group threw themselves on top of the tan-furred mouse. Who used his fists, feet and tail to get them off of him. But they still managed to drag him off his bike and soon, he was lying in the warm sand, being completely buried under the group of Sand Raiders.  
Still calm, but determined, Throttle clenched his teeth and fought back with everything he had in him.  
He might die today.  
But not like this.  
Certainly not like this.

But it's what one could call a challenge.

Sand Raiders were foul creatures. Since strength wasn't something they could rely on in a fight, they used their teeth and nails. And even if their nails weren't that sharp as those from a Memphant, even if their jaws weren't made for a prey as big as a Martian Mouse, it still hurted like hell.  
A moan escaped Throttle's lips when he felt teeth going through fur and skin on his left arm. He tried to crawl out from under them, but next to ugly and stupid, Sand Raiders were fat and therefore heavy.  
Really heavy.  
"Oh man, I never thought it would end like this", the tan-furred mouse breathed, still trying to escape. "Being crushed by Sand Raiders, how stupid."  
It probably had been wiser not to waste his breath by saying that out loud.  
Because breathing became more and more difficult by the weight pressing on his chest and the smelly fur that was covering his face didn't help either. That wouldn't have happened if he still had his helmet on, but the dogs had pulled it off his head when they attacked him.  
He fought to get air, he did everything within his power to get the hell out of this oppressive situation, but it was no use.  
It started with a few cramps, but soon, his whole body convulsed, every cell in his body now screaming for oxygen.  
He closed his eyes.  
But not because he gave up, no…  
No, he gave in.  
This day would be his last, after all.  
That he knew.  
From the moment he'd seen Modo's face, back in the garage, he knew.  
It wasn't exactly going the way he thought it would go, but some things just were impossible to plan.  
Death was one of those things.  
The growling sound, which was made by the dogs who were the cause of his upcoming death, slowly faded.  
The bright light of the sun, that peeked through the fur of the Sand Raider who was sitting on his face, slowly darkened.  
And while his body was still fighting to get oxygen, expressed by painful muscular contractions, his soul was at peace now.  
Like mentioned before, he'd lived his life the fullest.  
It was okay.  
There was nothing he could do to stop it, to stop himself from dying.  
If there was, he would grab the opportunity with both hands and tail.  
Not because he wanted to live for himself, but to be able to protect his bro's.  
To protect them, his family, from whatever wanted to hurt them, like he always did.  
But there simply wasn't.

A strangely familiar sizzling sound suddenly made its way to his ears, but his brain was too occupied with screaming for oxygen to give it a name.  
A loud explosion followed and suddenly, the pressure on his chest was gone.  
The sleazy fur, the one that was tickling his face just seconds ago, also gone.  
Throttle's eyes flew open.  
He could breathe again.  
And so he did.  
Gasping for air, he flew upright. The warm air filled his burning lungs and for a moment, all he could do was to sit there and breathe.  
Breathe as he had never breathed before.  
Someone kneeled down in front of him and reached out his helmet.  
Adjusting his glasses and still breathing heavily, he looked up, straight into a pair of brown eyes.  
"Hey there, stranger. Just catching a breath?"  
"Funny", Throttle rasped. "But thanks."  
And he took his helmet from her.  
Carbine offered him her hand and he gratefully took it, having no ego standing in the way to let someone help him from time to time.  
Still coughing, the tan-furred mouse put back on his helmet as he looked at the crater that Carbine's grenade had made. The fire was already slowly dying, but that was okay. It served its purpose.  
Sand Raiders were petrified of fire.  
Throttle did a quick body check, but next to a few bite wounds, he was relatively unharmed.  
Looking up, he saw a group of Plutarkians running up to them.  
There was no time to recover.  
No time to realize that this was the closest to death he'd ever been.  
No time to hope that it wouldn't happen again.  
Or, at least, not like this.  
Carbine gave him a pat on the shoulder as she took place on her bike.  
"Come on, even if it feels pointless, we need to keep going. For Mars."  
Throttle lifted his bike, which was lying in the red sand close to him, and once back on his seat, he closed his visor.  
"For Mars."  
And together, they did what they were trained for.  
Freedom wasn't something they took for granted.  
So they fought.  
Fought for what's theirs as they were used to.

_..._

Time past.  
Seconds became minutes.  
Minutes became hours.  
The mice fought and fought.  
With everything they had in them, they fought.  
Seeing friends, acquaintances and even mice who were complete strangers to them fall next to them.  
From one moment fighting side by side to the next moment fighting alone.  
The blood of those who fell in the name of Mars, along with the blood of the enemies they did manage to take down, turned the red sand black.  
The sun melted it into one viscous substance, another thing to the mice their detriment. The sticky mass stayed stuck to the rubber of their tires, giving the bikes, and therefore their riders, a hard time with gaining speed or making sharp turns.  
But even that couldn't stop him.  
Only death could.

Modo managed to fight off three rats, but before his brain registered that he had succeeded, he was already attacked again, this time by a Plutarkian who tried to finish the job that the rat's before him couldn't.  
Instinct told him to duck and so he did, because he'd learned to trust on his instinct a long time ago now. The laser fire from the fish burned away the hairs on his back, but Modo didn't complain, simply because things could be much worse.  
In one movement, he got back upright and raised his metal arm, which carried a weapon more deadly than one could think of, to shot the fish who was responsible for attempting to be his hairdresser.  
Of course, he didn't miss and the fish was no longer his concern.  
He now had the time to take a quick look around him and his heart just dropped.  
"Oh, momma…If only you could see this..."  
But he was, for the first time in his life, glad that she wasn't able to.  
He was grateful that at least she had been spared the horror which was part of war.  
They had managed to deplete the Army of Death.  
Unfortunately, the Army of Death had managed to almost completely wipe out the group of Freedom Fighters.  
The grey-furred giant now scanned his surrounding, searching for his bro's as his heartbeat rose even higher than it already was.  
His gaze wandered over the bodies that were lying in the sand, enemy or friend, some heavily mutilated, some as if they fell asleep with their eyes open.  
But soon and to his great relief, he saw Vinnie fighting on his left, still on his bike but for once being quiet as a mouse.  
With a face like thunder instead of his usual elated facial expression.  
Even his wide smile was absent.  
Modo realized he hadn't heard his younger bro's characteristic battle cries for a while now and he knew, he just knew, that all these findings added together came to only one conclusion.  
Even the always eager, never getting tired adrenaline junkie thought what Modo was thinking now too.  
They had lost.  
There was no way that they were gonna be able to win this.  
It was over.  
Everything was lost.  
Mars was lost.

"_Pull back, I repeat, pull back"_, Modo suddenly heard Throttle's voice over the radio, as if the tan-furred mouse could read his mind.  
Confusion clouded his brain and not long after that, the questions started to raise.  
Pull back?  
Why though?  
What was the point?  
There was nowhere to go.  
Next to Martian Heaven that is.  
"_We are not gonna die today."  
_Modo looked over his shoulder and saw his bro and leader standing on a hill close by the battlefield, not far away from his own position.  
Throttle looked back at him and signaled to come over to him.  
The grey-furred giant had no idea what was on Throttle's mind and yet, he immediately obeyed.  
Not because he was a mouse known to be submissive, but because he trusted the tan-furred mouse with his life.  
There was no reason to ask questions.  
So, he whistled between his teeth to get Vinnie's attention.  
Movement on his right, along with an awful scent that tickled his nose, pronounced the arrival of another Plutarkian who was determined to take him down.  
After raising his arm cannon again, he locked eyes with Vinnie and shot the fish at the same time.  
He didn't need to look to find out if he had succeeded.  
He just knew he did.  
"Come on, Vin, let's bail."  
He expected a protest, because his younger bro usually wasn't that fond of running. He himself wasn't either, but there was one thing they both hated even more and that was losing.  
Therefore, it wasn't really that much of a surprise that the white-furred mouse gave him a thumbs up as he kicked a rat in the face to get rid of him.

Laser fire rained down on them when they both turned tail and sped towards their bro and leader.  
As fast as the sand let them, that is.  
When they were close to Throttle, the latter turned around and signaled to follow him.  
"The Plutarkians just brought in a new shipment of soldiers with two spaceships. We are gonna take the ships and get the hell out of here", his husky voice was heard over the radio.  
"We never run, Throttle", Stoker's voice suddenly answered sharply.  
"We stay and fight to take back what's ours or we die trying and you know that!"  
Apparently, and to the bro's their relief, the brown furred mouse had managed to stay alive too and he now joined them on the way to the ships.  
Throttle looked over his shoulder to his mentor.  
"With all due respect, Stoke, but this is no battle for what's ours anymore. This is a slaughter. Don't get me wrong, I have no trouble with giving my life for the cause, but I refuse to be slaughtered like a helpless Martian Piggy Pig. And I sure as hell refuse to watch how my closest friends, my family, are getting killed in a battle that has nothing to do with war anymore."  
He didn't yell.  
He didn't even raise his voice.  
But that wasn't necessary.  
The tone in his voice was enough for the others to know that he wasn't fooling around.  
It wasn't because he wanted to disobey a direct order from his superior, but looking death straight in the eye had reminded him of his vow.  
His vow to do everything within in his power to protect the ones he loved.  
And not even Stoker was gonna be able to stop him from doing that.  
Support came from an unexpected source.  
"He's right."  
Throttle looked at his left and he even felt more relieved when he saw Carbine pop up behind him. They had lost each other shortly after she'd saved him from that horrible fate and he was more than happy to see that she was still here. The light grey-furred female gave him a warm smile before she focussed her attention back at the ships that were their ticket out of here.  
"Ah lighten up, oldtimer. The way I see it, we're about to take back what's ours", Vinnie said optimistically.  
"Oh really, huh? And how's that?", Stoker replied grumpily, not even close to being optimistic and somehow annoyed that his youngest pupil was.  
That loudmouth still had a lot of growing up to do… obviously.  
The white-furred mouse pointed at the two ships, not impressed by the sullen tone in Stoker's voice.  
"Martian Army ships. The stinkfaces stole it from them… We're just gonna return the favor. If that ain't taking back what's ours, I'm not sure what is."  
"Hate to say it, but he's got a point, coach", Modo added, amazed by Vinnie's talent that allowed him to see the bright sides of the darkest situations.  
But Stoker ignored them, it was clear that the older brown furred mouse was having an inner battle he didn't want to share.  
Yet.  
Getting closer and closer to salvation, a few other survivors joined them along the way.  
The Army of Death was on their left, all eyes down, clearly looking for survivors to kill.  
But since they were out in the open, since there was no place to hide, it didn't take long until the enemy soldiers in the frontline discovered the small group. And it would be only a matter of time before they would reach them.  
Again, time wasn't on their side.  
But they were so close.  
So close…

"Perhaps you're right, Th…."  
But Stoker's words vanished into the sound the loud explosion, made by a Plutarkian Missile which landed in the middle of the group.  
The giant shockwave separated them. Throttle, Modo and Vinnie managed to stay on their bikes, a thing that had nothing to do with skills, but all with having the luck that the explosion was behind them.  
However, Carbine, Stoker and the others were less fortunate.  
Carbine got thrown off her bike and landed hard on the ground. Stoker's bike crashed against hers and he also lost his balance.  
"_No!_ Modo, go and open that ship! Vinnie, cover me!", Throttle ordered as he turned his bike.  
"On it!", Modo answered and sped towards the ship, shooting everyone who dared to stand in his way.  
The tan-furred leader drove back to his fallen comrades, followed by Vinnie.  
But all of a sudden, the frontline of the army had reached them and a group of Plutarkians, along with a Memphant, lined themselves up between the two bro's and the rest of the group.  
"Going somewhere?", one of the soldiers smirked evilly as he aimed his gun.  
Giving the two mice no time to answer, he pulled the trigger. The rest also opened fire and Throttle and Vinnie were forced to pull back.  
"Split and hit number eight", Throttle ordered calmly, but urgently.  
He and Vinnie drove back towards the ship to create some distance between them and the Plutarkians who were standing in their way.  
"Cover us, big fella", the tan-furred leader said when they were near the ship and Modo saluted, stationing himself on the now open loading ramp.  
When Throttle and Vinnie almost touched the ramp with their front tires, they both made a sharp turn.  
Throttle to the left, Vinnie to the right.  
Modo opened fire from the center, his youngest bro from the right.  
And so they tried to create an opening for their bro and leader, but again, the numbers were against them.  
The heavy firepower of the group Plutarkians forced them back to the ship again.  
Throttle saw how Stoker was back on his feet and now ran towards Carbine as the rest of the group fought off rats and Plutarkians.  
He also saw that it was impossible to reach them.  
But he had to at least try.  
Now on his own again, because Modo was busy with some rats who popped up out of nowhere, Vinnie tried to cover him, but even his heavy artillery wasn't up against the big group of enemies.  
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't hold them much longer, Throttle!", he exclaimed, being annoyed but also, for the first time in a long while, scared.  
Scared that he was gonna be forced to watch his leader and one of his best friends die in front of him.  
To watch him giving up his own life to save the other.

Apparently, Carbine felt the same fear.  
She was already back on her feet and firing her laser gun to keep the enemy away, fighting for freedom, once again.  
She looked over her shoulder, her brown eyes wide open.  
"Go! I don't want you to risk your life for me, Throttle! _GO_!"  
"No, I'm not leaving you behind!"  
The tan-furred mouse did another attempt to reach her, but the Memphant now blocked his way.  
Vinnie saw it happen, but still had his hands full with keeping the others at distance. With his tail, he snatched a flair out of his bandolier, lit it and threw it towards the Memphant.  
It was nothing more but a desperate attempt to keep his leader safe.  
And he failed.  
Much to the horror of himself, he failed.  
Because the flair flew over the Memphants head and landed a few feet away.  
"Ah man, can you believe this shit? I hereby officially hate this day!", the white-furred mouse called out, no longer being just annoyed, no…  
He was starting to get angry.  
This was not his idea of having a good time.  
His endeavor only made the Memphant even more furious and the big beast roared loudly.  
So loud, that it even took Stoker's attention.  
When his gaze landed on the scene in front of him, he realized a few things at the same time.  
One; there was no way that his two pupils were gonna be able to break through, not even when Modo would join them. He, Carbine and the others were completely surrounded.  
Two; he didn't even want them to try.  
The ship and therefore freedom was within hands reach for them and trying to get him and the others out would have only one outcome.  
They would die.  
All of them.  
Three; he didn't want them to die.  
Throttle was right, this was a slaughter.  
He wanted them to live.  
They deserved to live.  
Four; they were never gonna leave him and Carbine behind, not without the right encouragement.  
So, he started by making the decision for them.  
"Carbine is right, rookies. Go! _Now_!", he yelled as he slammed two Plutarkian heads against each other with so much force, the two fish were already unconscious or dead when their bodies touched the ground.  
"_No_! We never leave someone behind, remember? Ain't that what you always taught us, huh? Ain't that the fundamental rule of the Freedom Fighters?", Vinnie protested, still trying to find an opening, risking his own life in the process.  
"Since when do you care about rules, huh punk? Lemme give ya a word of advice, this is _not _the time to start. Go! That's an order!"  
And then, as the right encouragement...  
"Remember your promise, Throttle."  
Throttle froze when he heard these words, but he soon realized his mentor was right.  
He needed to protect his bro's, no matter the cost.  
If he refused to pull back now, they were _all_ lost.  
And then everything would've been for nothing.  
Like mentioned before, one who lived in war had to deal with complex dilemmas.  
The one more difficult than the other.  
The Memphant that was still standing close to him, apparently decided now was a good time to attack.  
Unknown to the beast, the timing couldn't be worse.  
A leader needed to make decisions in the heat of the moment.  
This was one of those moments.  
The tan-furred mouse looked at Carbine and she looked back.  
Their eyes locked and for a short matter of time, it was just him and her.  
She nodded to him, her eyes warm, her way of telling him it was okay.  
Throttle let out his breath and another small piece of his soul crumbled into dust as he made the decision.  
He knew what to do now.  
Things weren't completely lost yet.  
"Vincent, retreat", he ordered with his most authoritative voice as he himself turned his bike right before the Memphant reached him.  
"But, Throttle…"  
"_Now_! We can't help them from here, but we might be able to clear the way for them once we're in the air!"  
The white-furred mouse looked one more time at Stoker and Carbine, who were fighting for their lives, so where the others of the small group. But the Plutarkians that were standing in their way, including the Mempant, came too close and he was forced to turn his bike too.  
"Ugh, okay,_ fine_! Let's get that thing in the air and then I'll show these suckers what Martian thunder is!"

With Modo's cover, they made it inside the ship.  
"Change of plans, big fella", Vinnie told his older bro as he jumped off his bike before it skidded to a halt and he slammed with his fist on the button to close the ramp.  
"We're not just gonna leave them, now are we?", the gray-furred giant asked while firing his arm cannon over and over again to keep the enemy out as the ramp slowly closed.  
"Of course not. Airborn number seven", Throttle explained as he took place behind the controls with a heavy heart.  
This had to work.  
As the engines slowly warmed up, Vinnie opened one compartment of his bike and pulled out the backpack with some difficulty.  
"I'll show them what happens when you mess with this mouse", he mumbled angrily and grabbed a bazooka that was almost as big as himself.  
Well, after putting the two pieces together, that is.  
"Hang tight, bro's, here we go", Throttle warned them.  
The ship rocked and came loose from the ground.  
Vinnie almost lost his balance, mainly because of the heavy weight of the huge bazooka he was holding, but managed to stay on his feet.  
"Airborn number seven, coming right up", Modo rumbled as he pulled down a lever.  
A small window big enough for an average sized weapon opened next to the now closed loading ramp.  
The white-furred mouse went down on his knees and pushed the bazooka through the small opening, which barely fitted because the thing was everything but average size.  
But Vinnie wouldn't be Vinnie if he didn't make it work.  
Using the visor on the impressive weapon, he aimed and locked the target, namely; the group of enemies that was standing between the second ship and the remains of the group.  
Between death and freedom.  
"Hasta la vista, motherfuckers."  
And he pulled the trigger.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey you guys, thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favorites, words cannot express how grateful I am.

Enjoy the next chapter and feel free to leave a review.  
Thanks for supporting me and till next time!

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The explosion was deafening, the shockwave even stronger than the one of the Plutarkian Missile.  
It literally blew Stoker off his feet and he landed on his belly in the warm sand.  
He made himself as flat as possible, clenching his teeth when he felt the flames licking the fur on his back, the heat being almost unbearable.  
But just as quickly as it struck, it was gone.  
The brown furred mouse let out his breath as he closed his eyes in relief, but it was soon replaced by irritability.  
Giving his life for the cause was not the problem here.  
However, being blown up by one of his own pupils,_ that_ was where the shoe pinched.  
"By the gods, warn us the next time before you're gonna pull a stunt like that, punk", he growled in the radio as he pushed himself up, knowing that there could only be one in this entire universe who was responsible for this destruction.  
"_Well, hey, it worked, right?_", the cheerful voice of the young white-furred mouse filled his ears.  
"It oughta be forbidden for young mice like yourselves to carry a weapon as deadly as that one... Holy shit, who was crazy enough to give ya that thing anyway?"  
"_Finders keepers. You've got your opening, oldtimer, so ya better make the most of it_", Vinnie answered imperturbably, but Stoker could hear the awe in his voice, telling him that his youngest pupil was deeply impressed by the force of the explosion.  
It wasn't exactly a surprise though, given his _'passion' _for weapons.  
Cursing softly under his breath, the brown-furred leader of the resistance quickly helped Carbine up, who was not even close by being amused.  
"If we make it out of here, the first thing that I'm gonna do is take away that bazooka."  
"_I heard that."  
_"Good!", Carbine snapped as she helped the rest of the small group on their feet.  
"And don't even think about hiding it from me", she quickly added, knowing the young mouse a little too well.  
"_Who? Moi? Never! I'd rather throw it out of the window…"  
_The light grey-furred former General shook her head in annoyance and then looked at the gigantic crater that was caused by the missile, bomb, nuke, or whatever it was. There was nothing left of the enemies who were standing in their way just seconds ago.  
Loud screaming behind her made her look over her shoulder and she saw that the rest of the army was running towards them.  
"We need to go. Now."

**...**

"They made it", Modo informed Throttle as he took place next to him in the cockpit.  
"Thanks to me! But instead of, I dunno, _thanking_ me, Carbine threatened to steal my new favorite toy!", Vinnie whined when he dropped on the third seat behind the controls.  
"Man, the story of my life. No appreciation."  
Perhaps some would say that the white-furred mouse was acting selfish, complaining about something this small after all the events that happened today, but little did they know.  
It was the adrenaline talking, the most powerful drug in the entire universe, which made it possible to keep going on days like these.  
The substance lighted up the heart and soul, therefore, it was the most important fuel for the body and mind of a soldier who was living in a war.  
As being soldiers too, his two bro's understood that.  
For the reason presented above, Throttle now chuckled.  
Because for a moment, there was only relief and gratitude, for a moment, reality was put on hold and the tan-furred mouse clapped his younger bro on the back.  
"Good job, Vincent."  
The white-furred mouse straightened his back and put his chin in the air.  
"Did you doubt? I'm the best! Even better than the best!"  
"Modest too", Modo sighed as he hung back in the chair.  
"Forget modest! How can you be a hero while being modest, huh?"  
"Yeah, geez, I wonder how that is possible indeed…", Throttle mumbled sarcastically as he turned on the radio of the ship, but still smiling.  
"Carbine or Stoker, come in, over."  
First, all they heard was static. But then…  
"_Stoker for Throttle, we're ready to leave, over."  
_The tan-furred mouse took a look out of the big window in front of him.  
The ship was still floating a couple of miles above the ground, giving them a perfectly good view of what's below.  
Once again, reality slapped him in the face and his smile vanished like smoke in the wind.  
An explainable response, because it was a gruesome sight from up there. Bodies of Martian Mice, Plutarkians, Sand Raiders and rats laid spread throughout the desert. In the distance, he could see that the base, what's been their home for the last couples of years, was now being invaded by the enemy.  
Was he ever gonna see it again?  
Was he ever gonna feel the warm and red sand under his wheels again?  
Was he ever gonna smell the scent that defined Mars again, the one before the war?  
There was no answer to these questions, and there was no time to get all sentimental now.  
He took a deep breath, forcing his mind to shut out the horror that was done to his people and planet, forcing himself to be what he was, namely; a leader where people could rely on.  
"Let's get the hell out of here, over."  
"_Copy that. Stoker out."  
_After one more glance outside, the tan-furred mouse laid his hand on the lever that was, once pulled down, gonna activate the jets to launch them into space.  
Then, he looked at his two best friends.  
"Ready, boys?"  
Modo's facial expression was one in despair as he looked down at the mess which they were about to leave behind, his heart crying for those who fell in the name of Mars.  
"May we meet again", he whispered softly. Then, a little louder: "I'm ready."  
"I was born ready", Vinnie answered, but the tone of his voice was different than usual. Hold back a bit.  
Throttle couldn't blame both of them. This was what one could call a bad day and that was an understatement.  
Without any hesitation, he pulled down the lever and the engines roared loudly in response.

They weren't gonna die, not today.  
Today was the end _and_ the beginning of an era.  
With their future now being more uncertain as ever, the tan-furred leader vowed to himself that he was gonna lead them to a better place.  
That was the only thing he did know.  
He was gonna do everything within his power to find the peace which they'd failed to find on Mars.

'_I used the dead wood to make the fire rise...  
__The blood of innocents burning in the skies…'_

**...**

"Man… Whoever said that traveling through space is exciting needs a little refreshing course in cool school. This is _boring_!"  
Vinnie hung listless in his chair, but before one of his bro's could answer him, the ship rocked and the white-furred mouse got thrown out of the chair and landed on the floor with a loud thump.  
"You were saying, Vincent?", Throttle said drily as he looked at the built-in screen to see what was going on behind them.  
Stoker's voice came over the radio at the same time and told him where he was looking at.  
"_Plutarkian gunship at six o'clock, Throttle, they must have followed us, over."  
_"Man, they just never give up, now do they?", Modo grumbled. "They already wiped out almost the entire species of Martian Cave Mice and took our planet, ain't that enough already?"  
Clearly, it wasn't.  
The ship rocked again and Throttle did everything within his power to keep it under his control, but the first lights started to flash red as a high beeping sound filled the cockpit.  
The tan-furred mouse gritted his teeth.  
"One engine down."  
Vinnie was already back on his feet and grabbed his bazooka again.  
"What do ya say if we fry the fins off these stinkfaces, huh?"  
"Do it!", Throttle ordered shortly, still trying to keep the ship steady as possible.  
"Modo, open up, will ya? One fish face barbeque coming up!"  
The grey-furred giant was already on his way and pulled down the same lever as he did earlier this day to open the small window next to the loading ramp.  
Again, Vinnie pushed the bazooka through the opening, his heart racing in excitement and a big smile on his face. After locking the target, his finger made its way to the trigger, but before he could take the shot, a laser beam came out of the spaceship that was his target. It hit the bazooka and the force knocked the impressive weapon out of the white-furred mouse his hands and flew into space to never return again.  
"Ah man, and I was just starting to get attached to that thing!"  
Throttle looked over his shoulder.  
"You know, it works better if you shoot _before_ the weapon flies outta the window..."  
"Yeah well, timing is everything...", his younger bro grumbled annoyed, rubbing his sour hands.  
"Look at the bright side, Vin. At least it ain't Carbine who took it from ya", Modo snickered, despite the gravity of the situation still highly amused by the sour look on his youngest bro's face.  
"I'm not sure what's worse…", the latter muttered under his breath.  
The Plutarkian ship managed to hit them again and more lights started to flash.  
"Two engines down."  
"_We're hit, I repeat, we're hit, over."  
_One should expect to hear panic in Stoker's voice, but just like he'd taught Throttle; panic never helped anyone.  
Calmness, on the other hand… calmness could save lives.  
"So now what?", Modo asked as he stood behind Throttle, his hands resting on the seat back.  
The tan-furred mouse looked out of the big window, his behind glasses hidden bionic eyes gazing at the only solution he could come up with right now.  
"That's easy…", he mumbled and then activated the radio.  
"We're going down, over."

**...**

With a sizzling sound, another missile flew through space, fired by a Plutarkian gunship.  
Cruel creatures they were, the Plutarkians. The fish looking beings had a special way of living, going from planet to planet to take away their resources because they'd used all of their own. Their behavior was nothing but excessive and brutal, leaving the planet, someone's home, behind as nothing more but a carcass once they were done. One should think that would be enough reason to call them cruel, but it wasn't.  
The fact that they didn't care was.  
And now, Mars had suffered the same fate, so were her people.  
No one ever said that life was fair.  
The missile came closer and closer to its target, namely; one of the two Martian Army cargo ships, stolen by the last standing Martian Cave Mice.  
But right before impact, the ship made a sudden turn and with the nose now faced down, it started it's falling down towards a beautiful looking planet. Because of this sudden move, the missile missed the first ship.  
However, it did manage to hit the second ship that was flying close to the first.  
The explosion was massive and yet, the ship wasn't completely destroyed, which was a huge compliment for the ones who had built the whole thing, may they rest in peace. Unfortunately, the shockwave that came with the explosion forced the ship out of his orbit and as it first flew in perfect formation with the first ship, it now drifted further and further away.  
But one thing didn't change and that was that both ships were still falling down, drawn to the planet below them like a moth to a flame as the distance between them became bigger and bigger.  
So big, that helping each other out was out of the question now.  
That was enough to satisfy the enemy, who lived under the assumption that the mice were never gonna be able to survive a landing like the one they were facing now.  
So they turned around.  
It was the sound of laughter that prevailed in the Plutarkian gunship, all having the time of their lives because they were convinced that it was them who had managed to take down the last ones standing of the race Martian Cave Mice.  
Proud that once again, an entire species was extinct because of them.  
Perhaps '_exterminated'_ was a better description, but that was a detail that didn't matter to them. The only thing that did matter was their, by them declared, victory.  
One should think that they knew by now, the war on Mars being the biggest clue...  
Never, _ever_, underestimate the strong will to live that was in the nature of the Martian Mouse.

**...**

"_Throttle to Stoker, come in, over."  
_Static was the only response.  
"_Throttle to Stoker, over."  
_Nothing.  
Their spaceship was now falling down with dazzling speed, damaged so badly that the controls were down.  
Apparently, the radio was too.  
A tan-furred fist, covered in a leather fingerless glove, slammed on the controls in frustration.  
"We lost them."  
"Maybe it's time to worry about ourselves, bro…", Modo suggested as he looked out of the front window of the ship, seeing how a for him unknown planet came closer and closer.  
"Wow! Imminent destruction!", Vinnie called out, clinching to his chair, determined to stay there this time.  
A big grin then almost split his face in half.  
"What a rush!"  
Throttle let out his breath as he looked at his two bro's.  
"Guys… Lemme tell ya something… In this wild and wooly universe of ours, there are only three things you can count on…"  
With his tan-furred finger, he tapped against his head.  
"Your _brains_…"  
He then swung an arm around his bro's neck, being more than just grateful to be in their company after the slaughter that had taken place on their home planet.  
"...your _bro's_…"  
His tail pulled down a lever to open the big loading ramp at the back of the ship manually.  
"...and your _bike_. Helmets on!"  
And so they did.  
With a little difficulty because of the rough movements of the ship, they reached and mounted their bike.  
"It is time for us to ROCK... and RIDE!"

Engines roared loudly as three bikes with their rider jumped out of the now burning ship.  
It was dark outside and cool air filled their noses, but there was no time to orientate, no time to plan a smooth landing.  
Gravity drew them closer to the ground and they each focussed on their own way to get to the ground as safely as possible.  
Throttle fired his jets in order to get back control, but that was almost impossible. They were closer to the ground as he'd thought in the first place and the darkness didn't help either. Add that to the fact that they were on an unfamiliar planet and there was only one conclusion; a rough landing.  
A loud explosion, heard and seen in the distance, told him their ship had landed. Well, landed… _crashed_ was more like it.  
The right side of his bike hit something, he couldn't see what it was, but the sound reminded him of the Martian Piny Pine Tree. But before he had the time to really figure it out, his tires now made contact with the ground and the tan-furred mouse immediately hit the brakes.  
Mass and velocity determine the required distance to stop and since he jumped out of a plummeting spaceship, it took some time before his bike finally skidded to a halt. For a moment, he could only hear his own heavy breathing and despite the cool air, sweat streamed down his back.  
But he made it.  
Giving himself no time to check his bike, his surrounding or himself for that matter, he activated the radio system that was in his helmet.  
"Bro's, bro's, you guys okay?"  
After a short silence, Modo's voice was heard over the speaker.  
"Yeah, sort of. At least I'm still in one piece."  
"Where are you, big fella?"  
Throttle scanned his surrounding, his bionic eyes only searching for one thing. His heart made a little jump when he saw a flashing headlight not far away from him.  
The sound of Modo's bike, which was all too familiar, was heard and soon, his large bro stopped next to him.  
"Oh momma, that was one rough landing", the grey-furred giant breathed as he opened his visor. "Hey, where's Vinnie?"  
"I was about to ask you the same thing", Throttle answered as the nagging feeling of worry slowly spread in his oh so tired body.  
Suddenly, a stream of curse words, spoken in ancient Martian, was heard in the distance.  
The high pitched tones in the voice told him that it was their little bro, but he sounded different. There was a subtext hearable that made Throttle's worry even bigger.  
"He sounds hurt", Modo confirmed his feeling, already on his way towards the sound.  
The tan-furred mouse quickly followed him, and soon, his headlight caught the red racing bike of his youngest bro. The powerful machine was lying on its side, heavily damaged, and the sight raised his worry to unknown heights now.  
"Modo, you keep guard, I don't want any surprises", Throttle ordered as he jumped off his bike and after pulling off his helmet, he kneeled down next to the white-furred mouse who sat on the ground a few meters away from his beloved bike, his helmet lying at his feet.  
Vinnie was holding his right leg with his teeth clenched, blood gushed between his white-furred fingers.  
"What is it, bro? Broken leg?", the tan-furred mouse asked urgently, alarmed by the large amount of blood he saw.  
"Ah man, how should I know? All I know is that I landed in a goddamn tree and fell down. That darn gravity", Vinnie growled, clearly his ego was even more busted than his leg.  
Throttle let out his breath, the worry far from gone, but now tempered a little.  
Things weren't looking good for them, being stranded on an unfamiliar planet without any food or water.  
The bikes damaged, one worse than the other and one of them, by first glance, hurt pretty badly.  
But as long as his youngest bro was still the big talker he always was…  
Perhaps things weren't that bad as they seemed.

"Where are we anyway?", the young mouse broke him out of his thoughts.  
"Hard to tell…", the leader answered as he looked around him.  
But it was too dark to see anything that could give him a, not even small, piece of information to tell them where they were.  
"Well, wherever here is, after this not so smooth landing, here is where we're stuck", Modo pointed out, still keeping a close eye on their surrounding.  
"Stoker… Carbine… Ya think they made it?", Vinnie asked with caution, knowing that their absence on the radio meant that they weren't close.  
"I dunno… For now, we can only hope that they did…", Throttle answered as he gazed up at the clear but dark sky.  
The stars looked back, twinkling brightly as if they were trying to comfort him, but nothing could right now. On Mars, he was able to track back his location with the help of the stars, but not here. The view didn't come even close to the one he was so familiar with and again, his worry grew.  
"Oh momma…", the big guy sighed defeated as he too pulled off his helmet, saying what they all three were thinking.  
"You said it, bro", Vinnie agreed unusual serious.  
Throttle forced himself to keep his head in the game, to not lose himself in despair and patted Vinnie on the shoulder as he rose on his feet again.  
"Modo, switch places with me so you can take a good look at that wound."  
The grey-furred giant did what he was told because he was a soldier. Next to that, he had learned a few things about first aid on the battlefield.  
"I need your light, Lil' Darling."  
His bike beeped almost soothing when she stopped next to him and shined her headlight on Vinnie's leg.  
The light beam showed them that the white-furred mouse was indeed sitting at the feet of a big tree, although it was one they hadn't seen before. The ground beneath it was one made of a hard material which didn't look natural.  
That answered at least one of the many questions they had; they weren't alone on this planet.  
It gave the tan-furred mouse more than an uneasy feeling. Somehow, he felt the unexplainable urge to hide, a small voice in his head told him they were too vulnerable in this position. They had no idea if the ones who lived here were friend or foe and he didn't want to wait to find out.  
Not after today.  
But with Vinnie in this state, he knew they weren't going anywhere for now.  
"Come on, Vin, lemme see it."  
Apparently, the white-furred mouse refused to remove his hands.  
"No way man, I'm fine."  
"You doesn't look fine to me, bro", Modo contradicted.  
"It's nothing I can't handle", the young mouse said stubborn, but his voice gave away his pain.  
"Just lemme make sure it isn't, okay?", his older bro retorted calmly, but persistent.  
"Ugh, fine…"  
And, although with reluctance, Vinnie removed his hands.  
A quick glance already told Modo that his younger bro was everything but fine. His pants were torn, giving the grey-furred giant a good look at his bro's leg.  
There was a big flesh wound on the right side of his calf, and even the large amount of blood couldn't hide the shinbone that poked out, cut straight through flesh and fur when it couldn't carry the weight of its owner during the rough landing.  
The strong will and high pain threshold that was in the nature of a Martian Cave Mouse were the only two reasons why the young mouse was still able to sit and talk while being this wounded.

Modo looked up at Throttle, who saw it too.  
Vinnie saw it happen and noticed the worried looks on both of his bro's there faces.  
"What? What's wrong? It's not gonna leave a scar, or is it?", he asked urgently and he let his gaze land on the wound for the first time. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the mess that was his leg.  
"Ah man, you've gotta be kidding me! I manage to survive a so-called Army of Death without so much of a scratch on my perfect body, did it with style too, and now… now I crashland on an unfamiliar planet and end up with this?!", and he pointed at the wound.  
"Man, you have any idea what this is gonna do with my machismo rating?"  
Modo rolled his one eye as he took off the bandana that was tied around Vinnie's neck, not being in the mood for this.  
Not today. _Certainly_ not today.  
"You're lucky enough that you made it in the first place, others can't say the same, bro. So cool it, we got bigger problems than your busted ego."  
And without any hesitation, perhaps even a little rougher than he intended to, he wrapped the bandana around the wound and thereby forced the bone back inside.  
Vinnie's tail lashed through the air as a growl in pain vibrated in his chest. Clenching his teeth, he hit with his fist on the ground, a feeble attempt to deal with the almost unbearable pain. It only made things worse, since the ground didn't budge and now, a sharp pain in his hand joined the already immense pain in his leg.  
"Geez, a little tender, love and care ain't misplaced here, big fella!"  
Ignoring his little bro's protests, the grey-furred giant looked at the final result and nodded satisfied.  
"That should do it. For now."  
But the worry was still hearable in his voice.  
Throttle, being the only other responsible mouse in his presence, couldn't blame him, since he felt the same worry.  
He knew that Vinnie felt it too, but the white-furred youngster was just too proud to say it out loud.  
They were in major, _major_ trouble.  
Chased away from their home, that was now in the hands of their worst enemy; the Plutarkians.  
Stranded on an unfamiliar planet with damaged bikes and one of them badly injured.  
All three being more than exhausted, their bodies completely worn-out after living on adrenaline for so long.  
Their minds troubled by the horrific things they had seen today.  
It was what one could call a mess, that's what it was.  
No more.  
No less.

Now that his eyes were a little bit more adjusted to the dark environment, he could see silhouettes from what he thought were buildings. The smell that hung in the cool air was somehow familiar and it wasn't exactly a happy memory. There was something strangely familiar about this place, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on it.  
His instinct kept whining that something was wrong here.  
Very wrong.  
"We need to…", he started, but then stopped because his sensitive hearing picked up a sound.  
Pricking his big ears in two different directions, he held up his hand to tell his bro's they needed to be quiet.  
A slight difference in pressure made his fur bristle, as if there was a soft wind blowing through the hairs.  
Only one problem; there was no wind.  
He knew what it meant.  
Ambush.  
But before he, or his bro's for that matter, could react, bright lights lit one by one with a loud bang and illuminated the environment.  
Throttle squeezed his eyes because of the sudden light, not even his adjusted specs could protect them for this sudden change.  
He held up his hand against the light in an attempt to see what the hell was going on, but it was no use.  
Modo positioned himself in front of Vinnie to protect him, since all the young mouse could do right now was sitting helplessly on the ground, not really able to defend himself.  
Vinnie was far from being amused, hating the fact that he was this depended on his bro's, now even more than ever. He tried to get up, determined to face whatever was out there like a man, or better said; like a mouse. But the pain wouldn't let him and that made him even more cranky.  
"Hands where I can see them, you Samaki scum!", a male voice was heard, clearly it came from behind the lights.  
Vinnie gave up his attempts, breathing heavily and confused.  
"Samaki scum? What the…"  
Throttle had no idea either what whoever gave them this weird name meant by it, but the rest was intelligible and to his surprise, in their language.  
"Lift them, partners. For now, we play along", he whispered softly, so soft, he knew it could only be heard by Martian ears.  
"Ah man…", Vinnie sighed, but he did what he was told.  
He was a mouse known for disobeying direct orders, but not when it was Throttle who gave them.  
Well, most of the time, that is.  
Modo did the same and Throttle tried to see anything else but the big lights that were shining in their faces, but he might as well give up.  
That left him with only one option.  
It was time to talk.  
Sometimes, words were more powerful than violence...  
"We uh… we come in peace!"  
...with the emphasis on _sometimes_…  
He heard Vinnie mutter something under his breath, but he ignored it.  
No one could blame him for telling the truth.  
Besides, they weren't exactly in the position to claim otherwise.  
Not with one mouse down.  
Not after everything they had been through today.  
Limits were reached, even for them.  
His ears now picked up soft voices and from what he could hear, it sounded like they were having a discussion.  
Words as _'they look different'_ and '_perhaps they mean no harm'_ came by, but the male voice, which had yelled the weird name to them, was hissing back with an aggressive tone.  
All this made clear to Throttle that whoever was behind the lights, it was more than just one and at least one of them wasn't convinced of them being harmless.  
A few clicks were heard, a sound all three of the mice recognized immediately; guns.  
Throttle flexed his muscles, ready to jump into action if necessary, but for now, he remained where he was with his hands still up in order to prevent further escalation.  
"We're not here to cause any trouble, citizen. Our ship crashed here, wherever here is, and one of us is hurt. We've come a long way so, please… don't shoot."  
His voice sounded exactly the way he wanted to; calm and authoritative, making it sound as if he had everything under control instead of revealing the painful truth that he wasn't.  
More whispers in the wind, more guns that were loaded, but then…  
"Stand down. Now."  
It was a female voice this time, the tone similar to the one Throttle had used just now.  
"Let's give them a chance to explain themselves…"


	5. Chapter 5

You guys, it's getting old, I know, but thanks for the reviews, the follows and favorites!  
Also a shout out to the quiet readers out there.  
THANK YOU!

Soooo, next chapter.  
Enjoy, I hope you guys like it.  
Feel free to leave a review and once again, thanks for supporting me.

Later dudes!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

In a way, the tone in her voice immediately intrigued Throttle.  
He couldn't fully explain why, but the fact remained it just did.  
It was the mellow sound that tickled his instinct, which in turn told him that the female creature who spoke could be trusted.  
Vinnie, however…  
Vinnie wasn't impressed.  
It all had to do with the fact that he was wounded.  
Just one landing, one miserably failed landing, had turned him from being among the best to the weakest link in a blink of an eye.  
He wasn't really used to be in such position, his ego even less.  
The result was a mouse who acted like a cat in narrow, now playing on his bruised ego, using words to compensate his position of weakness.  
"Explain? _Explain_?! How about you show yourself and_ YOU_ explain yourself instead of hiding in the shadows like a fucking coward, huh?", the young mouse snarled, already trying to get up again.  
"Shut _up_, Vincent, we're not in the position to make demands", Throttle hissed through clenched teeth, but the damage was already done.  
"_Coward_?! Who do you call a coward, huh?"  
It was the aggressive voice which Throttle had heard right before the female had interfered.  
Suddenly, there was movement in front of them.  
It was nothing more but a silhouette because of the bright lights on the background, but good sight wasn't needed to feel the anger of the creature in front of them. The familiar loud click that followed only confirmed that whoever was standing close to them was not amused at all.  
Another shot of adrenaline, perhaps the last his body could produce and endure for that matter, gave Vinnie the strength to get back on one foot, but before he could say or even worse, _do_ something stupid, Modo blocked his way.  
The grey-furred mouse placed his flesh hand on the white-furred mouse his chest to stop him and pointed his arm cannon at the silhouette.  
"That's close enough, pal."  
The bond between the three mice was unconditionally and unbreakable.  
Messing with one was messing with all three of them.  
And _nobody _was allowed to mess with his bro's, not even when it was one of them who was childish enough to start the whole thing in the first place.  
That was crossing a line in his book.  
"Who are you, his big brother or something?", the voice snorted, clearly not impressed or perhaps he pretended not to be.  
"Something like that."  
It started with a chuckle, but soon, the voice was laughing out loud.  
"And you call me a coward? You, who needs his big bro to watch his back?", the silhouette eventually managed to bring out.  
Vinnie gritted his teeth as he tried to get past Modo, who was having no trouble at all to keep his younger bro behind him.  
Next to big, he was also strong, the strongest of the three of them.  
Wounded or not, Vinnie didn't stand a chance, much to his annoyance.  
So, he provoked a little more.  
"I'm not the one who's under the command of a woman, so what does that say about you, huh?"  
The laughing stopped abruptly, but then…  
"Knock if off, Max", the female voice ordered.  
"Yeah, Max, knock it off", Vinnie repeated childishly, but Throttle had reached his limit.  
"Vincent, _enough._"  
Instead of raising his voice, he almost whispered the words, his husky voice even lower than usual.  
His way of letting his youngest bro know that he was about to cross a line that wasn't meant to be crossed.  
Much needed to happen to get the tan-furred mouse where he was now, but today was one of those rare days that his usual endless patience started to run low.  
Vinnie got the hint immediately, he'd learned the hard way that Throttle was no mouse one wanted to piss off. So, he bit his lower lip to keep his mouth shut.  
Modo also lowered his arm cannon, but his body was still ready to jump into action any moment if necessary.  
Throttle cleared his throat.  
"You'll have to excuse my youngest bro, but we had a very stressful day and that's affecting his ability to think clearly, _obviously_. Trust me when I say we're not here to cause any trouble."  
The tan-furred mouse noticed he was starting to get a little bit annoyed because he was talking into nothingness.  
He preferred to see the person who he was talking to, not just so he was able to read the body language but even more important; he wanted to look into the eyes.  
He cared most about the eyes.  
One once told him that the eyes were windows to the soul.  
There's a light in eyes that speaks louder than words.  
Words could be meaningless, most of the time it were lies too.  
But the eyes… the eyes never lie.  
"Would you mind turning these things off?", he asked as he waved to the lights. "It's kinda hard to talk to someone I can't see."

For a moment, nothing happened.  
But then, the bright lights were switched with softer lights.  
Throttle let out his breath and lowered his hand, now able to see that the lights came from three big 4x4 pickup trucks, knowing this because he'd seen vehicles like this before, back on Mars.  
He caught himself wondering how they had managed to sneak up on them with big cars such as these ones.  
Knowing now wasn't the time to ask questions, his gaze wandered over the almost completely hairless creatures that were standing on the hoods of the vehicles.  
A few were lined up behind the lamps, which were attached to the roof of the trucks in rows of four.  
But no matter what their position was, they were all pointing their gun at him and his bro's, all with faces like thunder.  
Each gun looked professional and very different from the ones they used on Mars.  
But Throttle had enough knowledge about weapons to know that in the end, all weapons were designed for only one thing; to take down those who the one holding the gun wanted to take down.  
His gaze eventually landed on the person in front of him.  
That had to be Max, the guy with the aggressive voice.  
Throttle looked into his brown eyes and his fur bristled.  
The voice matched the personality, that he now knew.  
Movement next to Max prevented him from taking a real good look at the guy and a, without a doubt, female came into his line of sight.  
Big, and to his surprise, _green_ eyes looked straight back at him and he immediately knew; this was the female with the intriguing voice.  
This was their leader.  
Her eyes were even more intriguing than her voice.  
He had never seen eyes this bright green as hers, it was an eye color that didn't exist on Mars and if he would let himself, he possibly may even drown in them.  
But he kept his head in the game because the tension in the air was still thick enough to cut with a knife.  
They were still being held at gunpoint by at least twenty of them.  
They were still crashed on an unknown planet and Vinnie was still badly injured.  
So, he forced himself to nod at the female to show her his gratitude.  
"Thanks."  
She gave him a nod back, her green eyes were studying his face, a little narrowed as if she was trying to figure out what his intentions were.  
Hard to tell with eyes hidden behind glasses, that he knew.  
It was Max who broke the silence.  
"So, what are you anyway, rats or something?"  
Throttle closed his eyes for a moment, cursing the bad choice of words.  
Of course, the guy couldn't have known, but still…  
This day was getting more exhausting by the minute.  
Modo's whole body convulsed as if he just got stung by a Martian Bee Bee and immediately raised his arm cannon again, his metal hand clenched.  
His one eye suddenly glowed red, a thing that happened when he got angry.  
It was even more intimidating in a dimly lit environment such as this one.  
"_Rat?! _My momma didn't raise no stinkin' rat… Understand?!", he growled between clenched teeth.  
Perhaps one forgot to mention that not only his soft spot for women and children made him one dangerous mouse.  
His hatred for rats ran deep and usually, no one who called him a rat made it out alive.  
In return, Max also raised his gun again and pointed it at the furious grey-furred mouse, so did the rest of the group, but a hint of panic now flickered across his face.  
It was no strange reaction, given the intimidating sight of the enraged half-tonne pile of muscle and fur as tall as a giant.  
But he stood his ground, which was admirable, one had to give him that.  
Vinnie, who was leaning against Modo, quickly snatched his laser gun out of his leg holster and with a loud click, he too aimed at Max.  
"Pull that trigger and you're dead meat", he threatened, his usually high pitched voice now low, clearly, the time for provoking was over.  
This time, he was being serious.  
_Dead_ serious.

Throttle and the female were the only ones who were not pointing guns and the latter now threw her hands in the air, a gesture to give away her frustration.  
"I'm close to choking in testosterone here, guys. Enough with the peacocking, honestly… Why don't we all relax a little so we can talk like normal human beings, huh?"  
Deep in Throttle's by exhausting clouded brain rang a little bell, one of recognition, but that's all it was.  
A little bell.  
Because right now, there was just no room left in his brain for anything but protecting his bro's.  
The female must have seen his confused look and therefore realized what she just said, because a little smile appeared on her face.  
"Like adults, I mean."  
"I don't trust them any further than I can throw them, Char", Max said softly, probably thinking it was soft enough.  
He clearly had no knowledge about Martian Cave Mice whatsoever, because they could hear him as clear as a radio without static.  
"The feeling is mutual", Vinnie muttered under his breath, but luckily, nobody except his bro's heard it.  
The female gave Max a look and, although obviously against his will, he lowered his gun.  
So did the others that were surrounding them.  
Vinnie hesitated, but Throttle gave him a small nod to tell him it was okay.  
The young mouse his face darkened, clearly he was disappointed, but he whirled his handgun around his finger and put it back into his holster.  
It was Modo who was still contemplating if he was gonna shoot the weird looking creature or not.  
Throttle made the decision for him by laying his hand on his arm to gently push it down.  
"Easy, big fella. If you shoot him, we won't make it out alive. And we didn't come this far to let it end here."  
Luckily, the grey-furred mouse was old and wise enough to know that his leader was right, so he took a deep breath to calm down.  
He nodded at the tan-furred mouse as the red glow that lighted up his eye slowly faded.  
"I think we're all a little on edge, hehe", Throttle chuckled apologetically. Not that he found this whole thing funny, well… perhaps under other circumstances, he would've.  
But not today.

"Okay, so no rats. But what then?", the female asked while she laid a hand on Max his shoulder, probably to let him know that he needed to stay calm.  
Max's hands tightened around the grip of his weapon, but he remained silent.  
Apparently, the female leader was the only one capable of controlling this male hothead.  
"We're mice, ma'am. Mice", Throttle answered patiently.  
In a way, he expected her to be surprised, but she wasn't.  
In fact, she was the opposite of being surprised.  
And the tan-furred mouse couldn't help himself but wondering what that could mean.  
It was clear she, or the rest for that matter, didn't know about them, otherwise the unfortunate fellow hadn't called them rats.  
"Mice. And where do you… mice come from?"  
"Mars."  
"Mars?", Max asked, full of disbelief.  
"Mars", Modo confirmed.  
"Mars?", the female now asked, but lacking in disbelief.  
It sounded more as if she didn't hear it correctly.  
"Is there an echo in here?", Vinnie interfered, holding a hand behind his big ear, still leaning against Modo.  
It was the tone in his voice that alarmed Throttle and the tan-furred mouse quickly turned around to look at his youngest bro.  
Who was, by the looks of things, about to completely collapse.  
His gaze lowered and landed on the bandana around his leg, which wasn't purple anymore, but deep red because of the blood that was still pouring out of the compound fracture.  
Add that to the fact that the white-furred mouse was living on adrenaline for too long now.  
It had nothing to do with being weak or strong but all with him breaking his leg after today's events.  
His body was done, it simply had suffered too much.  
Throttle looked back at the female.  
"Look, it's clear that you have enough reason not to trust us, but my friend here needs medical help…"  
"I do not!", Vinnie protested, wobbling on his left leg that was now forced to carry the whole weight of the young mouse now his right leg was out of order.  
"He does", the tan-furred mouse said imperturbably, without breaking eye contact with the female.  
"I know it's a lot to ask, but we have no place to go. Our ship is toasted, our bikes are damaged..."  
"Bikes?", the female interrupted him.  
"Uh… yeah… You know, vehicles on two tires…", he started to explain while pointing at his bike, but he trailed off when the woman threw her head in her neck and let out a laugh.  
"I know what bikes are, I was just... curious, I guess. So these are yours?", she asked as her green eyes wandered over the three bikes before they landed on Throttle's face again, who nodded to confirm.  
After taking another good look at him, her gaze so intense that it even made the usually unflappable leader a little uncomfortable, she cleared her throat.  
"Max, you and Milo load the bikes in the truck. As for the rest; these three men… uh... _mice_ are our guests now, so I expect you will treat them as one."  
She then looked Throttle straight in the eye.  
"Don't make me regret my decision."  
The tan-furred mouse shook his head as relief rushed through his veins.  
He wasn't sure what it was exactly that made her decide to help them, but right now, he couldn't care less.  
"I won't. Thank you."

Suddenly, a lot of commotion made them look up.  
It turned out to be Max and another person, from which Throttle assumed was Milo, who had tried to load Vinnie's bike in the back of the truck, but the cherry red racing bike was now back on her tires and aiming her full weaponry, which was a lot, at the two men who now stumbled backward.  
"Oh… did I forget to mention that no one's allowed to touch my bike beside me? How careless of me", Vinnie chuckled, highly amused by the scared looks on the men their faces.  
Usually, the white-furred mouse wasn't this difficult to get along with, but Max had pushed some buttons that weren't meant to be pushed and therefore, the human male blew up his chance to earn his way in Vinnie's good graces.  
A mouse never forget.  
And this mouse never forgave.  
But his eyes were already half closed and he leaned against Modo with his whole weight now.  
His big ears both hung down and his tail was lying on the ground like a lifeless snake.  
Enough signs to tell that the youngest of the on Mars almost famous trio was getting worse by the minute.  
The female looked back at Throttle and for the first time, he saw surprise in her eyes. But also curiosity, next to a soft glance of… admiration?  
"Did that bike just get back on its tires by itself? And did it or did it not threaten two of my best men just now?"  
"It's a _she_, sweetheart. A she", Vinnie corrected her with a weak voice.  
"A… she?"  
Throttle quickly understood that vehicles with artificial intelligence weren't that common on this planet as they were on Mars.  
He also knew now wasn't the time to explain.  
His bro needed help.  
The tan-furred mouse walked over to Vinnie's bike and laid a hand on the windshield.  
"It's okay, they are here to help."  
The red bike beeped angrily, having the same temper as her rider, but she put the weapons away.  
He then looked at the two men, who were still staring at the bike with eyes as big as saucers and he sighed tiredly.  
"Let me help you guys getting them in the truck."

A few minutes later, the bikes were loaded and the female gestured to the back of another truck.  
"You can sit here", and she opened the boot lid.  
Then, she climbed in and sat down on the ground with her back resting against the cabin.  
Throttle followed her example and turned around to help Modo with getting Vinnie in.  
But the white-furred mouse was known to be stubborn and still not used to this weird position of weakness he was in now that he was injured.  
He wouldn't allow himself to get used to it.  
Well, perhaps it was his ego standing in the way.  
"Ugh, I got this, man…", Vinnie mumbled and tried to climb in by himself.  
For a moment, it seemed like he was gonna succeed, but then his wounded leg bumped against the truck.  
Clenching his teeth to keep the scream inside, he slammed his fist against the side of the truck to vent some of his frustration, without any result except leaving a big dent behind.  
Once the worst pain was gone, he was able to see the damage and he chuckled a little sheepishly.  
"Whoops… hehe…"  
Modo sighed, climbed in and grabbed the white-furred mouse by his hoodie.  
After dragging him inside, he used his tail to close the boot lid and took place next to Vinnie.  
Then, without any warning, he hit the side of the truck from the inside with his metal hand and with a loud _ploink_, the dent was gone.  
"There ya go, ma'am, as good as new."  
The female was watching all this with her face completely blank.  
"Uh, thanks… I guess…"  
When Throttle sat down too, she raised her hand to knock on the back of the cabin.  
"Let's go!"  
The trucks came into movement, formed a line with their vehicle in the middle and so their journey, to wherever their destination was, began.  
Again, Throttle noticed the silence of the trucks, the sound of roaring engines being absent.  
He made a note to himself to ask about this weird fact when the time was there to ask questions.  
Gazing up to the dark sky again, he allowed himself to do a little prayer.  
Not that he was religious, he'd never been, but it was the only thing he could do right now.  
For his friends.  
For Carbine and Stoker.  
He could only hope, only _pray_ that they were safe and sound.  
Somewhere...

"Vinnie, you've gotta keep your eyes open."  
"But… but Modo… I'm so… so tired…", the white-furred mouse yawned, his voice now close to sounding like one of a child.  
"I know, buddy, I know. But don't give in, okay? I want you to stay awake. Ya think ya can do that?", Modo answered patiently.  
"I'll try…"  
"That's all I ask."  
The female was looking at all this with a small frown between her brows.  
Throttle knew because he was looking at her.  
Well, more like _staring_ at her, so he was grateful that her attention was focussed on his two bro's, giving him the chance to take a good look at this weird creature.  
He had never seen anything like her.  
In a way, she looked a lot like them.  
Her slender built body moved the same way as theirs, using the hands to grab or hold things, the feet to stand on and the legs to walk with.  
But at the same time, there were so many differences.  
For starters, the only hair she had was on the top of her head. Auburn colored hair that was tied up in a ponytail.  
That being the only tail he could find made him come to the conclusion that the fur wasn't the only thing missing.  
Although her body moved the same as theirs, she was far smaller than the average Martian Cave Mouse.  
So were her ears, which were attached at the side of her head, just like theirs, but they didn't stick out.  
One could almost call them flat.  
But it was the size that made Throttle wonder how she was even able to hear.  
Another big difference was her face.  
It was shaped differently, the nose placed below the center of her eyes but again, it didn't stick out as their muzzle, although it wasn't completely flat either.  
Her teeth were completely covered by her soft looking lips, only visible when she smiled or curled her lips for any other reason.  
The color of her skin seemed pinkish, but it was hard to tell in the still dark environment.  
It… _she_ was beyond weird, and yet so... _interesting.  
_Her hand that grabbed a black device, which he recognized as a radio although it was a different model from the ones they used on Mars, broke him out of his trance and he blinked a few times to get his vision sharp again.  
"Team Arrow, ETA in one. Get the doc ready", the female said calmly into the radio as her green eyes looked up at the sky for a moment.  
As mentioned before, the eyes never lie and Throttle could see a glance which he placed as hopelessness.  
As a result, more questions raised, but he was too tired to ask them.  
All in good time.  
Right now, it was priority number one that his youngest bro was gonna get the help he so badly needed, even if he himself was too stubborn to admit it.  
'_Copy that, the doc is standby.'  
_The female clicked the radio back at her belt.  
"Thanks", Throttle said.  
_Again.  
_He started to sound like a Martian Parry Parrot, and he hadn't decided yet whether he found it hilarious or annoying.  
Probably annoying, next to awkward.  
But then again, he couldn't go around the fact that he _was_ being grateful right now.  
Grateful for her help.  
So, Parry Parrot or not, he would say it another hundred times if that was necessary.  
If that was what it took.  
A mouse was willing to go far to protect his family.  
A leader was willing to go even further.  
Leaders didn't have ego's standing in the way of doing the right thing.  
They knew exactly when subtlety was required without being completely submissive.  
This was one of these moments.  
He needed her and that was nothing more but the plain truth.

The female gave him a small nod back, and for the first time, he saw a hint of insecurity in her eyes.  
After a small hesitation, she reached out her hand.  
"We didn't get the chance to properly introduce ourselves… I'm Charley."  
Throttle stared at the hand, he had no idea what she expected from him.  
He looked back into her green eyes and now it was amusement that made them twinkle as bright as the stars above their heads.  
"You're supposed to take my hand now and tell me your name", she smiled, the frown from which he assumed was usually always there now gone.  
Throttle hesitated, but then reached out and placed his tan-furred, in a leather fingerless glove covered hand in hers.  
She had a firm grip and feeling the warm and soft skin made him even more confused than he already was, but he managed to push it away for now.  
"The name's Throttle. The big guy over there is called Modo…"  
Modo nodded friendly at her.  
"Nice to meet you, ma'am."  
Given the surprised look on Charley's face, chivalry wasn't only rare on Mars.  
"And the one with the swelled head is... ", Throttle continued, but Vinnie beat him to it.  
Wounded or not, the young mouse was determined to introduce himself on his terms, not planning on letting any opportunity to impress this weird, yet beautiful creature slip away.  
She was, after all, a lady.  
"That's the invincible Vinnie van Wham to you. The velocity atrocity… An honor, I'm sure…", the white-furred mouse mumbled, his ruby red eyes only half open, but he still managed to wiggle his eyebrows a little and his lips curled into one of his trademark arrogant smiles, although a little less convincing as usual.  
"Invincible, huh?", Charley asked as her green eyes landed on his wounded leg, clearly not impressed by the young mouse's words.  
"Even a broken leg ain't gonna stop me, sweetheart. This mouse never runs out of fuel", Vinnie answered unflappably, his eyes already closed again but still with the shadow of a smile on his face.  
Charley now looked at Throttle again with a questionable look on her face, clearly at loss about how to deal with the prideful, arrogant attitude of this white-furred creature.  
"Is he messing with me? Or is he always like this?"  
"You ain't seen nothing yet", the tan-furred mouse answered tiredly as he squeezed the bridge of his nose.  
"This is him being restraint", Modo added.  
"Why don't we talk about me as if I'm here, huh?", Vinnie suggested as he now leaned with his whole weight against Modo, not able to sit upright by himself anymore.  
"No!", Modo and Throttle answered in unison, both knowing that once the white-furred mouse got on a roll, nothing could derail him, not even losing consciousness.  
They were both convinced that even then, the young mouse would find a way.  
He never let down an opportunity to brag and no one ever said he wasn't creative.  
It was essential to stop him on time, a skill his two bro's got the hang of rather well after living with him for so long.

Suddenly, the truck slowed down and Charley climbed on her feet to look over the cabin.  
"We're here", she pointed out as she adjusted the holster that was tied around her waist.  
Throttle followed her gaze as he too rose on his feet, wondering where _here_ was.  
It was still very dark outside, and with the bright lights of the trucks still switched off, _too _dark.  
The trucks stopped and two of the same creatures as Charley stepped into the light of the first car, both holding a big gun. Max, who was behind the wheel of the first car, opened the window and stuck his head out.  
"Team Arrow back from recon, bringing three… _guests_... "  
He said the last word sarcastically, probably using this tone to make clear that he still didn't agree with Charley's decision to take the mice with them.  
It was then that Throttle decided to keep a close eye on this Max guy, already knowing that types like him usually only meant trouble.  
"There was no enemy contact during this mission, so skip the entry check. One of our guests is in need of medical help", Charley interfered, and Throttle saw that the frown between her brows was already chiseled on her face again.  
Both of the guards saluted and disappeared in the dark again.  
A click was heard, followed by loud creaking.  
The cars came into movement again, and although their lights were not enough to illuminate the entire environment, Throttle could see silhouettes from which he assumed were high fences with sharp looking points on top to prevent one could climb over them.  
The loud creaking he'd heard just now, was made by the guards who had opened a plate-loaded fence.  
When the trucks slowly drove through the now open gate, something caught Throttle's eye and he looked up.  
It was a green sign that hung above the entrance, wrapped in barb wire and even Throttle could see that the weathered sign had seen better days.  
He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to read the once white printed letters, and although he was able to read them, he had no idea what it meant.  
"_Chicago…_"  
His gaze lowered to the black letters that were written below the white ones.  
"_Camp Hope…_ Chicago, camp Hope", he whispered, as if saying the words out loud would give them meaning.  
However, it did not.  
It made him, as far as that goes, even more confused.  
Camp Hope?  
Words which Charley had used suddenly echoed in his head.

_Enemy contact._

His tired brain, now triggered again, was already adding up his observations.  
Team Arrow, all of them armed to the teeth, on a recon.  
Talking to each other in words that, as far as he knew, were only used by soldiers.  
Camp Hope, surrounded by fences and heavily guarded.

_Samaki scum._

A shiver went down his spine.  
What was going on on this strange planet?  
He slowly turned his head and looked at Charley, still contemplating with himself if the war back on Mars might have made him a little bit too paranoid.  
The female gave him a smile which probably was meant to reassure him but it didn't, simply because her eyes revealed the sadness she tried to hide with that smile and Throttle felt a pang of despair, now knowing he wasn't being paranoid.  
Something was wrong here, on this planet.  
_Very _wrong.

_Human beings. _

Charley cleared her throat.  
"Mice from Mars…  
She spread her arms, a theatrical gesture made to give weight to the words she was about to speak, the sadness still visible in her green eyes.  
"Welcome to Earth."

...

_Earth.  
__One once spoke about Earth.  
__How the human slowly destroyed their own planet.  
__Was their careless behavior the cause of their own demise?  
__Or was there a monster under the bed...?_


	6. Chapter 6

Hey you guys...  
Thanks again for the reviews!  
Not much to tell, so here's the next chapter!  
I hope you enjoy it. ^^

Feel free to leave a review, always makes my day.  
Till next time, dudes!

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_The real monsters aren't under the bed…  
__Or are they?_

Before Throttle had a chance to react on this dark yet friendly welcome, the truck slowly came to a halt.  
Charley jumped out without saying another word and walked over to a man who was standing a few meters away, which gave Throttle the time to talk to his bro's without anyone listening. He kneeled down in front of them and laid a hand on Vinnie's knee to get his attention.  
The young mouse opened his ruby red eyes and Modo also looked at his bro and leader.  
"Guys, I've no idea what the hell is going on here, but for now, we keep our head down and play along", he whispered.  
"Earth? We really are on Earth?", Vinnie asked, now squinting because of pain and blood loss.  
"Apparently, we are."  
"Wow, that is so… cool…", the white-furred mouse sighed with a small smile.  
"Ya think we can trust them?", Modo asked softly.  
"I trust her. As for the rest, I'm not sure yet. But right now, we need them, so we're just gonna stick together and keep our eyes and ears open, okay?"  
"Got it."  
"Copy that, fearless leader", Vinnie mumbled, but he was having a hard time to keep his eyes open.  
"Although I ain't so sure about the whole _'keep your eyes open'_ part…"  
"What in the…", an unknown voice broke up their little gathering and they all three now looked at the man who was talking with Charley just seconds ago.  
He now leaned against the boot lid of the pickup truck, his brown eyes studying the three mice.  
Again, Throttle noticed it wasn't shock or surprise that was written on the male's face, but curiosity.  
Perhaps even fascination.  
"First fish, now mice… What's next? Turtles?", the man spoke with awe as he still watched them closely.  
It took the tan furred mouse a while to process the words since exhaustion made him less sharp than usual.  
But then, the words dawned on him and his whole body convulsed as if he got struck by lightning.  
While his body even suffered from a few aftershocks, he already dropped on his knees and grabbed the boot lid with both hands.  
Looking straight into the friendly eyes of the man, he leaned forward until their noses almost touched.  
"What did you just say?"  
The male did a step backward, probably taken back by the intense, almost hostile tone in Throttle's voice, but the tan furred mouse wasn't interested in making friends right now.  
Not since a rare feeling of sheer panic had taken over his body and mind.  
"Yeah, man, I mean, turtles? Come on, how is that even cool?", Vinnie mumbled, his eyes already closed again, clearly, he didn't catch on yet.  
It wasn't that much of a surprise since he was a mouse known for being a selective listener.  
One could almost call it a talent how the young mouse was able to filter out the words that might bust his ego or his manhood for that matter, the rest already forgotten.  
The human male now relaxed a little, probably thinking that he'd unintentionally offended the mice by mentioning them in the same sentence as turtles.  
He scratched the back of his neck as he smiled a little sheepishly.  
"Oh, that was just…", but Throttle grabbed the man by his shirt and pulled him closer to the truck.  
After all, turtles weren't the reason why he was reacting this way.  
He couldn't care less about the turtles.  
"Fish. You said _fish_. Why?"  
There was now a hint of fear visible in the man his brown eyes and he tried to free himself, but the tan furred mouse was too strong.  
The panic that the leader was feeling grew even bigger as far as that was possible and he shook the human male in a feeble attempt to make him talk.  
"Answer me!"  
But before the man could, an all too familiar clicking sound was heard closeby his head and shortly thereafter, Throttle felt something cold pressing against his temple.  
"Let him go or I'll kill you where you stand, _mouse_", Max growled in his right ear.  
Throttle squeezed his fingers even tighter around the man's shirt and clenched his teeth, but then reality kicked in and he was suddenly painfully aware of his surroundings again.  
He felt movement behind him and he knew it was Modo who was about to help him.  
The panic, that was close to being overwhelming, now slowly faded till it was nothing more but a nagging sensation in his stomach and he quickly let go of the man as if he just caught on fire.  
"It's okay, big fella", he then said softly as he raised his hands in the air, knowing the situation would escalate if his bro interfered.  
The man was obviously happy that the tan furred mouse had let him go and quickly created some distance between them as he adjusted his shirt, coughing softly.  
Throttle looked at Max from the corner of his eyes, straight into the fuming eyes of the aggressive human who still didn't lower his gun.  
So he flexed his muscles, prepared himself for a fight, but then...  
"Max."  
Charley popped up out of nowhere and laid a hand on Max his arm, who gritted his teeth in response.  
But then, he slowly lowered his gun with a shaking hand and Throttle relaxed a little.  
Until his eyes locked with hers, that is.  
The glance of disappointment cut through his soul quite unexpectedly and the tan furred mouse felt a pang of guilt which was soon followed by shame.  
Shame because he'd allowed his emotions to take over like that.  
Shame because he was supposed to know better.  
Shame because he was a leader where people could rely on and losing control like that just wasn't part of the deal.  
This had just been a very long day and… no.  
There was no excuse.  
He looked at the man, who was looking back at him suspiciously.  
"I uh… I'm sorry, I don't know what has gotten into me all of a sudden, I guess… I guess I'm just a little hot under the helmet after this very stressful day…"  
Desperately searching for a way to set things straight, he suddenly remembered how Charley had introduced herself and so he reached out his hand as a peace offer.  
After a small hesitation, the man with the friendly eyes took it and gave him a firm handshake.  
"Apologies accepted."  
Charley walked closer to the truck and looked at Throttle.  
"Look, I know you have about a thousand questions or so, and let me tell you that I have too. But it's late and your friend needs help. So first things first…"  
She pointed at the man who Throttle had assaulted just now and her lips curled into a small smile.  
"This is the doctor…"  
Throttle felt his cheeks burn when he heard her say these words, now, as far as that goes, even more ashamed.  
Typical.  
He rarely loses control, but the one time he does, he takes it out on the one man who is able to help his youngest bro in these desperate times.  
Just… typical.

The man raised his hand as a greeting, already calm again.  
Vinnie tapped with two fingers against his head to greet him back, a hint of his trademark smile on his face.  
"Wassup, doc?"  
"Please, call me Ben", the man responded with a heavy, but soothing voice.  
"Wassup, Ben?"  
"Ben here is gonna check all three of you over and threat your wounds", Charley continued as she laid a hand on Ben's shoulder, still with a slightly amused look on her face and Throttle couldn't stop himself from getting the feeling that she was making fun of him.  
He couldn't really blame her, though.  
It was a stupid move, even he couldn't deny that.  
But then she grew serious again, that small frown between her brows already back again.  
"I know this day has been rough on you guys, so what you need right now is a good night sleep. And tomorrow… Tomorrow is a new day with new stories. Tomorrow, we'll talk, that I promise."  
Throttle nodded, knowing that she was right.  
Although he was feeling more than curious about what was going on on this strange planet, he agreed now wasn't the time.  
They could all use some rest.  
"Sounds fair enough to me."  
"Okay, then I'll leave you in Ben's capable hands, he'll take good care of your friend. I'll see you tomorrow."  
Charley gave him one last nod, still with that amusing glance in these marvelous green eyes, and walked away.  
Max followed her and suddenly grabbed her by the arm to stop her.  
Throttle noticed it wasn't really friendly and he narrowed his eyes behind his glasses.  
What was their story?  
After hissing at each other for a few seconds, Charley yanked herself free and walked back towards the truck.  
"One more thing… I need you to hand over your weapons", she said toneless, the glance in her eyes now replaced with… nothing.  
It was this sight that concerned Throttle more than the words that came out of her mouth, he hardly even heard her.  
But his bro's, and especially the youngest, didn't share this particular concern.  
"Say what?", Vinnie exclaimed as he flew upright.  
Of course, this strange demand was enough for the white-furred mouse to snap back to reality, no matter his current physical condition.  
No one was allowed to touch his weapons without his permission, let alone take them from him.  
That was like taking away his clothes, although he probably would've cared less about giving away his clothes.  
That was only giving him another opportunity to show off with his, as he liked to call it, _perfect _body.  
But beware for those who wanted to take away his beloved weapons.  
His _babies.  
_"Not a chance, ma'am", Modo for once agreed with his younger bro.  
But Charley didn't budge, Throttle could tell and now, her words dawned on him too.  
She was asking them, no, _ordering_ them to hand over their weapons.  
That was bad.  
Next to unexpected.  
Perhaps even funny.  
"I'm sorry, but it's one of the ground rules. Only the teams and guards are allowed to be armed and since you ain't either of them…", she indeed stood her ground.  
A chuckle escaped the tan furred mouse his lips, as if she was telling them a bad joke instead of insisting to hand over their only insurance for personal safety.  
It was the same thing, though.  
A bad joke.  
For a moment, the tables were turned.  
Now it was him who was amused by her.  
Highly amused.  
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to agree with my two bro's on this one. The only thing that I can hand over to you is my word that we won't use our weapons as long as we're here."  
"Your word is worth nothing without trust, and trust needs to be earned. Besides, if you won't use them, there's no need to carry them with you, or is there?"  
Despite the situation, Throttle was still amused by her.  
The longer he was in her company, the more he started to understand why she was their leader.  
She sure wasn't afraid to speak her mind.  
But he couldn't stop himself from wondering what Max his role was.  
"And if we refuse?", Modo asked tiredly. It was clearly hearable in his voice that he didn't like where this was going.  
"Then I have no other choice but to show you the door. As long as you guys are in this camp, _my_ camp, walking among _my_ people, you've got to obey the rules, just like everyone else."  
Her words unlocked the dam inside Throttle that was surrounding his emotions and it was despair that immediately popped up by only thinking about them being forced to leave this camp.  
They had nowhere to go on this strange and unfamiliar planet, their bikes damaged and Vinnie…  
The white-furred mouse would die if he didn't get help soon.  
By that thought alone his heart made a few backflips in his chest.  
He couldn't let his younger bro die, certainly not because of ego and stubbornness.  
Or even worse; _unhealthy paranoia_.  
He would never forgive himself.  
Hearing the deep and heavy sigh next to him, Throttle knew Modo had come to the same conclusion.  
Their hands were tied.  
So, he took a deep breath and braced himself because he knew that at least one them wasn't gonna be amused by this decision.  
"Okay."  
Vinnie, who was already trying to get up again, probably because he'd rather leave the camp than to turn over his beloved weapons, now froze when he heard Throttle say that one and simple word.  
Just like the tan furred mouse had predicted, he was not amused.  
Modo wasn't either, but he was at least wise enough to know that protesting was useless.  
Vinnie, on the other hand, wasn't.  
"Okay?", the white-furred mouse asked with a voice high of disbelief as he looked at Throttle, his eyes wide open in shock.  
But then, he narrowed them and his long tail lashed through the air.  
"What do ya mean, _okay_?! Are you crazy? Did you hit your head during the crash or something? Turning our weapons over to people we don't know is _not _okay! Far from it!"  
Throttle remained calm, like he always did when Vinnie was having one of his temper tantrums.  
To start a discussion was counterproductive, that he knew.  
So, he pointed at Vinnie's wounded leg in order to instill the gravity of the situation.  
"Look at this from my point of view, Vincent. You need help, whether you like it or not, and if we don't do as she asks, you'll die. It really is that plain and simple, so tell me, how is that even a choice, huh?"  
Vinnie put a finger in the air and opened his mouth, all ready to make a point, but then realized he had none.  
Throttle was, as usual, right.  
"Ah man…", he breathed and his hand dropped next to his body.  
With that, his energy drained away too.  
This short but heavy revival had used the last drops of adrenaline and his body now pulled on the emergency brake.  
It was done, it had enough and it was time that the soul was gonna cooperate.  
Throttle saw how his youngest bro paled under his fur and another alarm bell went off.  
Enough with the lingering.  
His bro needed help and he needed it now.  
Like,_ right _now.  
So, Throttle turned around to face Charley again.  
"Let's get this over with."

_**...**_

_Half an hour later…_

"You think you can help him?", Throttle asked worriedly as he looked over Ben's shoulder to make sure he could follow every move the doctor made.  
The tan furred mouse was still having a hard time with trusting these people, although they hadn't given him any reason not to, Max excluded, that is.  
Too many times he'd been betrayed, even by his own people.  
As he previously noted, the war back on Mars had made him more paranoid than he liked to admit.  
But he trusted Charley.  
He wasn't sure why, but he just did.  
Without a doubt.  
So, did that not mean that this man could also be trusted?  
Another thing he wasn't sure of.  
Yet.  
Like Charley said; trust needed to be earned and this man at least deserved a chance to do so.  
"I think I can", the doctor answered calmly, by the looks of things not even being slightly impressed by the tan furred mouse who was breathing down his neck.  
Throttle felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up, straight into the friendly face of his other bro.  
"Perhaps we need to give the doc some room to do his job", Modo suggested, but without any form of judgment. The grey-furred giant was familiar with the almost endless sense of responsibility that his friend and leader felt, and although he didn't say it out loud, he felt the same distrust towards these weird creatures.  
But then again, what choice did they have?  
None.  
Therefore, they allowed this man called Ben to touch their youngest bro in the hope that there were still people in this wild and wooly universe who could be trusted, who meant no harm to them or anyone.  
Sometimes, one could only hope.  
Hope and pray.  
Throttle did a step back, but his body was still painfully uptight, ready to jump into action if necessary.  
Ben ceased his activities for a moment and looked over his shoulder, probably feeling Throttle's distress.  
"Why don't you take a seat?", he suggested friendly as he gestured to the chair across the table where Vinnie was lying on.  
"I can only imagine how tired you must be and from there you'll have a good view of what I'm doing."  
Throttle's first impulse was to refuse, because he already had a pretty good view from where he was standing, but Ben's words were like a seed that got planted in his head and he suddenly felt, indeed, how tired he was.  
So, although with reluctance, he slowly walked around the table and sank down in the chair to where the human male had pointed at.  
He closed his eyes for a moment because of the pain in his muscles which now did a feeble attempt to relax.  
It was hard to believe it was only yesterday that he was studying the map to find the perfect way to take down the enemy, back on the base.  
War strategies...  
It was only yesterday when that awful siren went off, the siren that had changed their lives forever, although he didn't know it at that moment.  
He'd felt it, though.  
From the moment that siren went off, a darkness had nestled in his usual light heart.  
And look how right that feeling was.  
Here they were.  
_Earth.  
_What a mess.  
What an awful mess.

Modo took place next to him and they now both looked at Vinnie, who was lying on the table.  
The white-furred mouse had lost consciousness moments after the whole weapon debacle, a thing Throttle had foreseen from miles away.  
It was him who had searched the moveless, but thankfully still alive body for weapons to hand over, which were a lot.  
Max had needed another bag to carry it all with him to wherever he was gonna store the armaments.  
And oh boy, he hadn't been amused.  
Therefore, Throttle was.  
He didn't like Max.  
It was also him who had skipped the small handgun from which he knew the young mouse carried in an ankle holster for backup.  
The holster was tied around his left ankle, the leg that wasn't wounded, and thoroughly hidden under his pants.  
A mouse couldn't be careful enough these days.  
The tan furred mouse felt actually bad for keeping this from Charley, for he trusted her, but his instinct had told him to do this.  
And he always listened to his instinct.  
No exceptions.  
"That looks painful", Ben broke him out of his thoughts and Throttle looked up a little surprised, since he was feeling no pain at all.  
He saw the doc pointing at his arm and his gaze lowered before landing on the bite wound that was made by the Sand Raider right before the whole pack had almost squashed him like he was nothing more but a little Martian Fly Flea.  
Again, all that seemed like forever ago.  
"It's just a bite mark", he answered absent-mindedly, realizing he suddenly started to sound a lot like Vinnie.  
But the reality was that it was nothing he couldn't handle, after all; the wound would be gone within twenty-five hours.  
It probably would leave a scar though, but it sure wasn't the first.  
Besides… a scar wasn't deathly.  
"Well, then at least let me clean that after I'm done with your friend", Ben offered before he focussed his attention back on Vinnie's leg.  
Throttle didn't respond, all he wanted now was that the doc helped his bro, since Vinnie needed it more than he did.  
Sure, he was tired.  
Sure, he had some small wounds but it was nothing that a good night sleep couldn't fix.  
The same applied for Modo, who was using this time to take a good look around as he fiddled with the rope that was tied around his bionic arm to prevent the cannon from popping out.  
It was nothing more but pro forma since he was strong enough to break the rope by using only two fingers, but Throttle had told him to play along for now and so he did.  
He had even reached out his arm to make it easier for Max to tie the rope.  
The look on the human male's face had almost made him slip, _that_ eager he had been to powder off that smugly smile, but he had managed to control himself.  
Max was now ringleader on the_ 'people he didn't like' _list.  
Calling him a rat had earned him this special place, and special it was.  
The list wasn't long and with his soft and friendly personality, it was truly a miracle to say at least that the guy already took lead after only speaking a few words.  
Modo shook off the unpleasant feeling that Max gave him and focussed on his surroundings.  
They were sitting in a small tent which was made of a soft, green fabric Modo didn't recognize, the image of a red cross printed on both sides.  
It was bigger on the inside than he'd thought in the first place.  
Warmer too, although the nights on Earth were far less cold than the ones he had spend on Mars.  
Shortly after walking inside the tent, it became clear to him that this was the infirmary of the camp they were in, but it was far smaller than he was used to.  
A lot of the equipment that was standing in the tent he hadn't seen before, but it was clean.  
One didn't need to be a doctor to know that was the most important.  
Right after Modo had laid the young white-furred mouse on the table that was standing in the right corner of the tent, the doc had closed a few curtains and thereby created a separated space.  
With the only light coming from the big lamp on a stand that was aiming its light beam on Vinnie's leg, it almost felt cozy.  
As if they were sitting around a campfire or something.  
Suddenly and without any warning, a shiver ran through his body.  
It was one of the for Modo all too familiar signs that he was being more than tired.  
Apparently, the doc noticed it and looked at both of them.  
"It's gonna take some time to fix this mess", he said as he gestured to Vinnie's leg.  
"Perhaps you two want to grab some sleep in the meantime?"  
"No", the two mice said in unison right after the last word had left Ben's mouth.  
The human male looked up a little surprised by hearing the intense tone they both had used.  
Throttle saw it and gave the man a small smile.  
"Look, doc, it's nothing personal, but we… well, we're close. We _always_ stick together. And I'm not gonna be able to sleep until I know that he's gonna be okay."  
"Same here", Modo agreed with him.  
Ben nodded as he gave them another friendly smile.  
"You're our guests, not prisoners. You're free to do as you please, of course."

"So, what's the damage?", Throttle asked to change the subject as he pointed at the nasty looking wound in his youngest bro right leg.  
The doc had shaved away the hairs around the wound edges and cleaned it, but it still looked awful.  
That probably was because of the bone that poked out again.  
It just wasn't natural.  
"Well, the shinbone snapped like a twig and cut through flesh, blood vessels, muscles, skin and uh… fur. The broken bone also ruptured a big artery, causing the massive hemorrhage. I've already managed to stop the bleeding by tying off the artery, and now... "  
But Ben suddenly trailed off as he took a closer look at the wound.  
"That's weird…"  
Throttle's heart made a little jump, once again.  
In a way, he felt lucky that he hadn't had a heart attack already.  
"What? What is it?", he asked as he leaned forward, not able to cover up the sharp edge made by panic in his usual husky and calm voice.  
"It's like the wound is already healing…"  
Relief rushed through his veins when he heard these words and Throttle leaned back as he let out his breath.  
"Oh. But that's normal. Right?", he added when the doc didn't answer.  
Ben looked at him with a confused look on his face, his eyes narrowed.  
"Not here it isn't. Human beings don't recover this quickly…"  
Modo rubbed his chin, intrigued by this statement.  
"How long would it take for a… human to recover from this kinda injury?", he then asked, still getting used to the word _human_.  
Ben looked at the wound again and then shrugged.  
"I would say at least six to eight weeks, if the patient takes enough rest."  
Throttle whistled between his teeth in wonder and Modo almost fell off his chair.  
"That long? A Martian Cave Mouse only needs two or three days, tops. Oh, momma, can you imagine the kind of trouble we would go through if we had to pin Vinnie down for eight weeks?", the grey furred giant chuckled.  
"That would be the end of Earth, that's for sure", Throttle agreed with a smile, knowing that forcing the hyper adrenaline junkie into bed rest for eight weeks was more like mission impossible.  
Ben was still staring at them.  
"Two or three days? How on Earth is that even possible?"  
"Apparently, it isn't. On Mars, however, it is", the tan furred mouse shrugged, not impressed by this fact at all.  
He was more surprised to hear that a human needed like, _forever_ to recover from an injury like this one.  
It was a good thing they weren't at war.  
_Weren't they?  
_Rubbing his temples, he decided to ignore this… whisper in the wind.  
For now.  
The human doctor looked down at Vinnie's wound again.  
"I better hurry then… ", and he continued his work.  
"How long is a day here on Earth?", Throttle now asked, curious about the time management on this weird planet and eager to distract his troubled mind.  
"Twenty-four hours. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I once read somewhere that Mars in a way resembles with Earth, but if I remember it right, a day is a bit longer there, isn't it?"  
Somehow impressed that this creature apparently had taken the time to learn things about other planets, Throttle nodded.  
"I don't know about the resembling part since I know Earth only by name, but you're right about the other part. A day on Mars, or like we used to call it; a _sol _is approx twenty-five hours long."  
"And you too use weeks, months and years to indicate the time?", Ben asked as he pushed the broken bone back in the right place.  
It caused a weird sucking sound which made Throttle sick to the stomach and he quickly focussed his attention back on the conversation.  
"Yeah, we do. A week is twelve days, a month is five weeks and a year is twenty-four months", Modo answered.  
"Interesting. Here on Earth, it's a bit differently. A week is seven days, a month is approx four weeks and a year is twelve months."  
"Oh, so when you say eight weeks, you mean… fifty-six days?", the tan furred mouse asked surprised.  
Ben nodded in answer.  
"But in your case, that would be... "  
"Ninety-six days", Throttle calculated for him, worried that the doc otherwise might be too distracted from fixing Vinnie's leg.  
But by the looks of things, the man seemed perfectly capable of doing two things at the same time.  
"This is most intriguing", the doc smiled as he started to stitch the wound.  
Silence dawned on them and after a few minutes, Throttle needed to fight to keep his eyes open, which wasn't easy.  
This had been a very long day, Martian _or_ Earthly and his body was done.  
But he needed to stay awake, at least until the doc was done with patching up his youngest bro.  
The waiting gave him time to think and he suddenly remembered the word that Ben had used when he saw them for the first time.  
Perhaps he could take another shot to get some answers, although this time he preferred to ask questions without going completely loco.  
His cheeks burned by only thinking back at that short moment of losing his self-control.  
No more.  
"You said something earlier this night that caught my undivided attention…", he started with caution, not sure how the human was gonna react.  
Ben hands froze for a moment, but then he continued his stitching work.  
If Throttle wasn't watching him closely, he probably would've missed it.  
But he didn't and again, that bad feeling he'd felt earlier this night tied his stomach in a knot.  
His instinct kept telling him that he needed to keep his guard up, but he had no idea why, since the few people he had met here in this camp seemed to be sincere and no threat at all.  
Again, Max excluded.  
Although they obviously didn't like it when he started to ask questions about their current situation and that only made him even more curious.  
By the looks of things, Ben wasn't gonna respond and Throttle felt Modo shift his weight in the chair next to him, which told him that his bro wasn't at ease either.  
After looking at Vinnie again, who was still out like a light thanks to the sedative Ben had given him just in case, the tan furred mouse leaned forward to get Ben's attention.  
"Ben… It's okay if I call you Ben, right?"  
The doc nodded, but still said nothing, his eyes fixated on his work.  
"Ben, this is important for many reasons… Can you please explain to me why you used the word _fish_?_"  
_The human stopped his work so he could look up.  
Throttle mentioned the pain that was now visible in his brown eyes and it made him even more determined to peel out some information.  
There was indeed something wrong here and he could only hope that the word fish had another meaning on this strange planet, although he had the nagging feeling it wasn't the case here.  
Ben wiped off his forehead with the back of his hand, the needle holder still between his fingers.  
"I'm not sure why it is that you're so interested in me using that word…", he mumbled uneasily.  
"That's funny, because _I'm_ not sure why you're being so evasive...Ben", Throttle retorted sharply, but still calm.  
The human doc sighed heavily and laid down his tools.  
"Look, I know that you have a lot of questions, I would've too if I was you. But I've got strict orders to patch you guys up and to give you food and water before I show you your beds. Like Charley said; tomorrow she'll give you the answers you're so desperately searching for."  
"Why?", Modo now opened his mouth and Ben gave him a confused look, like he forgot that the grey-furred giant was still sitting across him.  
"Why is she so persistent to wait till tomorrow?", Modo asked patiently.  
"Because she's too caring for her own good…", Ben answered absent-mindedly.  
Then, he looked Throttle straight in his behind glasses hidden eyes and the tan furred mouse knew they'd lost another round.  
He could see it in the man's eyes.  
Loyalty.  
"All I can tell you that this...-", and Ben gestured around him. "-... this is _not_ how life on Earth is. Or, at least, not how it's _supposed_ to be. Now please stop asking questions, I'm loyal to Charley and she has told me that now isn't the place nor the time to tell stories. It's late and time to rest. After I've finished this, that is."  
His friendliness was gone now and the fire in his eyes told Throttle that one should not mess with this man.  
This friendly, but loyal man.  
He looked harmless at first sight, but clearly, he wasn't.  
Not when it came to Charley.  
So, the tan furred mouse decided to let it go for now.  
Not because he was scared that he couldn't handle the human, no, he just didn't wanna pick a fight with the man who helped them.  
More to the point; who helped his youngest bro.  
Besides, the man seemed to be sincere, a quality which Throttle could only appreciate.  
"Okay, fine. Tomorrow."  
"Tomorrow", Ben confirmed.  
Throttle leaned back in his chair as he crossed his legs by the ankle.  
Luckily, days on Earth were shorter than on Mars.  
That meant the nights were too.  
So, it wouldn't take long before he finally would get himself some answers.  
In his sake.  
And his bro's sake.

Ben continued his work in total silence now and it didn't take long before both Modo and Throttle were nodding off, suddenly caught between being awake and sleep.  
But finally…  
"Voila! All done", Ben broke the silence and the two mice flew upright, both startled by this sudden exclamation.  
Throttle took off his glasses and rubbed his stinging eyes before putting it back.  
He then looked at Vinnie's leg and saw that the wound was now neatly closed as if nothing ever happened.  
Well, apart from the blood that was still stuck in his usual snow-white fur, that is.  
"Some fine needlework you've got there, doc", he mumbled impressed,  
"Thanks", Ben answered as he wiped off his hands with a towel.  
"He's gonna be okay, certainly with his body healing that fast. Therefore, I don't see the need to apply a cast. And given the color of his mucosa, he has already enough blood back in his system which makes a blood transfusion unnecessary. Truly remarkable."  
He suppressed a yawn and then rose on his feet to pull back the curtains.  
"You can sleep here tonight", he said, gesturing to the three empty beds that were standing on the left side of the tent.  
Throttle looked at it and then shared a look with Modo.  
They both suddenly felt the weird urge to cry by only seeing the soft-looking beds, their bodies yearning for some rest after this long, exhausting and deep dark day.  
"Can I get you guys anything? Something to eat?"  
The friendliness was back now and Throttle felt relieved. He started to like this man and he would hate it if he somehow had managed to offend him.  
That wasn't his intention, after all.  
All he ever wanted was to protect his bro's, just like he promised.  
The tan furred mouse slowly got up, his whole body protesting in pain.  
"Just water for me now… I'm too tired to eat…"  
"Same for me", Modo answered, who was already lying Vinnie in the middle bed.  
Ben walked towards a big white box and opened it.  
Throttle could see the box was filled with bottles of water and his eyes almost popped out of its sockets.  
Water was a rare thing on Mars and to see it just lying there in abundance was a shock to say at least.  
Ben didn't notice his reaction and grabbed three bottles before he closed the box again.  
He then gave one to Throttle, one to Modo and put the third bottle on the nightstand next to Vinnie's bed.  
When Throttle took the bottle from him, there was another surprise.  
It was cold.  
Perhaps water was rare on Mars, but _cold_ water… that didn't even exist.  
He looked at Modo, who was still staring at the bottle in his flesh hand, an action which told Throttle he wasn't the only one being this surprised.  
He then focused his attention back on the bottle and after struggling with the cap for a while, he finally managed to open it.  
Goosebumps spread across his body when the cold water streamed into his mouth and then flowed down his esophagus.  
This was exactly what he needed ever since that moment he was standing in the Martian desert and had spotted the spaceships.  
That awful moment, when he was forced to choose between Mars and freedom.  
He had chosen freedom.  
He could only hope that he had chosen wisely.  
Time would tell.  
The cold water washed away his anxiety, his worries and his fears and finally, his body completely relaxed.  
He now felt safe enough to give in or perhaps his body really was done for today.  
Either way, before he could drink the rest of the water, the bottle slipped between his fingers and landed on the floor with a loud thump.  
But Throttle hardly noticed as he dropped on the bed on his belly and even before his head touched the soft pillow, he was already subsided into a deep and hopefully nightmare less sleep.

* * *

_The day is done...  
__All is well, safely rest your head...  
__It's time to sleep...  
__And dream of what's in store...  
__The body bends until it breaks...  
__And sings again no more...  
__Don't be afraid that you're not alone…  
__Because the monsters under the bed are asleep now too..._


	7. Chapter 7

What's up you guys?  
A big thanks for the reviews, so glad to see you guys are still with me.  
I'm very humbled by your kind words.

So, I managed to finish another chapter, since my country is crippled by a heatwave.  
It's close to 104 °F (40 °C), so I'm forced to sit still and not move too much, hehe.  
Such punishment.  
Not.  
I'm sure there are many of you out there who live in a country where it's always this hot in the summer, but these temperatures are quite rare in the Netherlands.  
Therefore, we're not used to it.

Anyway, enough with the earth science.  
Go read the next chapter and just enjoy ^^  
Feel free to leave a review, always much appreciated.

Later guys!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Red sand under his knees.  
__He dug his fingers in the warm ground.  
__As rocks and mountains die, grains of sand are born.  
__The circle of life.  
__Those same grains of sand now slid between his fingers.  
__Like water that flows through a waterfall.  
__Mars…  
__Home.  
__He slowly got up, the warm wind danced gently through the long strands of the hair between his big ears.  
__The scent of heat mixed with flowers filled his nostrils and he closed his eyes.  
__One corner of his mouth curled up by smelling the magnificent scent that defined Mars before the war.  
__Still pure and fresh, devoid of death.  
__Oh, how much he'd missed it.  
__The faint sound of a lonely Martian Wooly Wolf crying in the distance.  
__The sun warming up his tired and drained body.  
__It all felt so real.  
__But deep down in his now eased mind, he knew…  
__Deep down in his now enlightened heart, he felt…  
__...this was nothing more but a dream.  
__An illusion.  
__His eyes slowly opened.  
__Something was different.  
__The sun was gone and had taken its warmth and light with it.  
__The sound of the crying Wooly Wolf was now replaced with the pressing sound of silence.  
__The pure and fresh air was now chased away by the horrendous scent of death.  
__His gaze wandered down as his heartbeat rose.  
__Black.  
__The sand was black.  
__Engorged with blood.  
__His gaze eventually landed on a body lying at his feet.  
__Greasy light grey fur.  
__Dull and brittle black hair.  
__Empty brown eyes.  
__No.  
_"_Carbine…"_

Throttle's eyes flew open. His heart was racing in his chest and he could feel that his fur was soaked with sweat.  
A dream.  
It was only a dream.  
Closing his eyes again, he forced himself to calm down as he kept repeating the same sentence in his head, over and over again.  
'_It was only a dream, Carbine is okay.'  
_It took a while but finally, his heartbeat was back to its usual frequency and the painful knot in his stomach was gone too.  
Of course, he wasn't sure if Carbine was okay since he was completely clueless about her whereabouts.  
But he had to stay positive.  
She was with Stoker, after all.  
And next to smart and resourceful, Stoker was like Martian Weedy Weeds.  
Very annoying and hard to kill.  
A loving smile curled his lips by thinking of his coach.  
His mentor.  
His role model.  
It evoked a feeling of nostalgia, immediately followed by sheer sadness.  
Perhaps it was needless to say, but things would never be the same again.  
Not after what the Plutarkians had done to their planet, their home.  
They didn't just destroy it, no, they _stole_ it from them.  
Bit by bit… little by little…  
And all that was left now was a skeleton.  
A shadow of what once was.

The tan-furred mouse heaved a deep sigh.  
Life as they knew it was gone to never return.  
It was crushed by the evil race called Plutarkians.  
Sad, but true.  
Irreversible, too.  
So lying here and thinking back at all the misery he and the rest of his people had been through wasn't gonna do him any good.  
Thoughts like that were deep and dark and brought him to a place he didn't want to be.  
After all, one should never stay too long at a pity party.  
That brought nothing but insatiable hatred and tremendous remorse for his acts of violence, both planned and spontaneous.  
The fact that he was forced to do these horrible things to protect his home and family didn't relieve the pain whatsoever.  
But one very wise once told him; it is how you move forward that is important, no matter how bad things are, no matter how pointless it feels.  
A mouse couldn't move forward if it was looking over its shoulder all the time.  
Perhaps this wasn't the life they had in mind, but at least there was still life.  
And where there was life, there was spirit.  
A free soul being at peace with death might sound tempting, but it felt like the easy way out too.  
A Martian Mouse never chose the easy way out.  
They fought and protected.  
And so he did.  
Just like was written in the stars.  
It was his destiny.  
As long as he was breathing, he would continue to fight evil and protect the ones he loved.  
Even if it was the last thing he would do.

Throttle opened his eyes again and slowly got upright, every muscle aching in protest.  
His head was killing him, every heartbeat banged against the inside of his skull as a result of dehydration and he was pretty sure that he'd brought the Martian desert with him in his mouth.  
After blinking a few times, his vision became sharp and that could only mean he was still wearing his glasses.  
Usually, he takes them off before he goes to bed, but not yesterday.  
Happy that the modified spectacles had survived the night, he suddenly heard soft snoring on his left and he turned his head.  
Next to him lay his youngest bro, still asleep and if he remembered it right, still in the same position as deposited by Modo last night.  
That was most unlike Vinnie since the white-furred mouse was just as restless in his sleep as when awake.  
Perhaps the sedative Ben had given him was still doing its job, but who knew?  
It was a drug for human use, not Martian, but then again, Throttle was no doctor and didn't even know how long a Martian sedative worked, much less a humane.  
But the different thing was that Vinnie's bed was closer to his than he remembered and he now saw that his tail was entwined with a white-, and grey-furred tail.  
Movement further on his left broke him out of his thoughts and his gaze wandered to the bed standing next to Vinnie's.  
"Morning, bro", Modo's heavy voice rumbled.  
The grey-furred giant was sitting on the edge of his bed, his legs would dangle if the bed wasn't this small or if Modo wasn't this big.  
His feet were now resting on the wooden floor and he stretched before a big yawn escaped his mouth.  
"Good morning to you too, big fella", Throttle smiled.

Apparently, Modo had pushed the beds closer to each other for protection before he went to sleep.  
After all, sleeping on an unknown planet while being surrounded by unknown people could be dangerous and therefore, it was important to keep each other safe.  
To take care of each other.  
The entwined tails worked as some kind of alarm, waking them up if someone would try to hurt one or all three of them for that matter.  
It was a tactic they had used many times already and it had proven to be a trusty one too.  
The tan-furred mouse could only be grateful that his older bro had taken care of them when he couldn't since he'd been too tired yesterday.  
"Ya sleep okay?", Modo asked as he scratched the back of his neck, still with a bit dazed facial expression.  
"Yeah… You?"  
"Like a log."  
Still yawning, Modo pointed at Vinnie.  
"Shouldn't we wake Sleeping Beauty over there?"  
"Nah… It's rather peaceful without him bouncing around", Throttle joked as he untangled his tail.  
Modo let out a raw laugh while doing the same.  
"So true, so true. But with that leg, he won't bounce for another two or three days, so I guess that means we're good."  
"Mmkay, fair enough", Throttle chuckled and tried to stand up, but his body wasn't ready yet and he dropped back on the bed with a heavy sigh.  
"You do the honors, big guy. I don't think my feet are already able to do what they're supposed to do."  
"Carrying that big ol' butt of yours, ya mean?", Modo teased as he got up.  
"Did you just call me fat?", the tan-furred mouse asked with played shock.  
"I wouldn't dare, bro."  
"Liar."  
"Friends don't lie."  
"Bro's do."  
"Touche."

Still smiling, Modo laid his hand on Vinnie's shoulder and gently shook him.  
"Wake up, little buddy."  
The white-furred mouse stirred, but then pushed Modo's hand away as he wrinkled his nose in annoyance.  
Clearly, he wasn't ready to wake up yet.  
"Maybe he's still sedated…", Throttle now shared his earlier thought out loud but Modo was no mouse to discourage easily and he shook his bro a bit rougher.  
"Come on, Vinnie, nap time's over."  
That worked.  
Slowly, Vinnie opened one ruby-red eye.  
"Naptime over? Hmmm… then it must be time to visit the little boy's room…", he mumbled groggily as he opened his other eye too.  
Then, a small smile curled his lips.  
"I hope I'm not too late…"  
Modo rolled his one eye and looked at Throttle.  
"Oh momma, the last thing we need is a still half gassed smart mouth…"  
"Hey, it was your idea to wake him up, big fella", the tan-furred mouse retorted with a teasing voice.  
Modo looked back at the white-furred mouse, who now sat upright in his bed and stared at his leg with his eyes still half-closed.  
"Hey man… What happened to my leg?"  
"You broke it, remember? You fell off your bike from a great height when we jumped out of the ship."  
Vinnie still stared at his leg, but then he looked up with a dazed, yet slight arrogant look on his face.  
"Hey, I don't fall. I just do some random gravity checks and guess what? It still works."  
Throttle and Modo shared a look that spoke volumes and for a moment, their plight was forgotten.  
It was relief that subsided now, relief because their little bro was gonna be okay.  
And so, only for a small moment, they were just ordinary brothers instead of soldiers whose minds were troubled by the horrific things they had seen during their short but rough life.  
And big brothers just loved to tease their little bro.  
Unfortunately for Vinnie, that's just how things worked.

"Oh really? Well, you need to learn that your actions have consequences", the tan-furred mouse started sternly as he looked back at his youngest bro.  
But despite his serious tone of voice, he was obviously trying to keep his face in check.  
Therefore, the young mouse gave him a confused look, not able to add up these opposite signals.  
"You're _grounded_!", Throttle blurted out and both him and Modo burst into laughter.  
Vinnie, however, didn't.  
Even though he was still a bit groggy, the worst fog in his head was gone now and he started to understand that his bro's were making fun of him, a thing he hated to the core.  
Perhaps that was the reason why his bro's loved it so much.  
The white-furred mouse his buttons were just _so_ easy to push.  
And once again, he didn't disappoint his two best friends.  
His face darkened, his shoulder slumped and he folded his arms as he glared at them with fuming eyes.  
But the two were just getting warmed up.  
"Guess he really is _bone_ to ride free, huh?", Modo rumbled as he poked Throttle in the stomach with his elbow.  
"I'm just _hopping_ he'll get well soon", Throttle laughed, holding his belly.  
Vinnie rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders in annoyance, his arms still folded.  
"Funny…", he grumbled and his fur bristled, a sign he was getting angry.  
His bro's saw it and slowly, the laughter subsided.  
Throttle took off his glasses and wiped away a tear, still chuckling softly.  
Modo sat down on Throttle's bed for a moment to recover from this merciless attack of laughter.  
It were desperate times after all, and having fun like this didn't happen that often.  
But when it did, they all gave the full hundred percent.  
Well, except Vinnie this time.

"Ah, lighten up, Vinnie, just look at it this way...", Throttle started his attempt to cheer the young mouse up, but Vinnie could hear the suppressed laugh in his leader's voice and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.  
It soon turned out it wasn't unfounded, because the tan-furred mouse was hardly able to finish his sentence, although he did succeed before bursting out in laughter again.  
"At least you didn't break your funny bone. That would've been really serious!"  
Modo started laughing again too and they had to hold each other to not collapse.  
A long white tail lashed through the air with a zooming sound.  
"Har dee har har, ain't you two hilarious", Vinnie snapped at them grabbing his pillow and he threw it towards his bro's heads.  
They both dodged it easily, much to Vinnie's annoyance.  
"Ugh. Why don't you guys just jump over the moon, okay?"  
Modo let go off Throttle and stepped closer to his youngest bro.  
"Listen, Vin… If you feel upset about your broken bone, just think about all the other 205 bones that you were lucky enough to not break", he chuckled as he patted Vinnie on the shoulder.  
"Geez, thanks man, but if this is your way of cheering me up, here's a newsflash for ya; it _ain't_ working!", the young mouse retorted as he slapped away Modo's hand.  
"Sorry, Vin, we'll stop", Throttle said soothing, knowing that their hot-tempered bro was about to crack, but he still had a big smile on his face.  
"Yeah, yeah, sorry bro, I guess we're just started on the wrong _foot_ here", Modo snickered, clearly he just couldn't stop himself.

Vinnie was about to explode, but then he suddenly froze and his face got blank.  
Throttle saw it happen and he immediately grew serious again, knowing his little bro well enough to know that when something was able to stop him from exploding, that _something_ was bad news and could only mean trouble.  
"Vinnie, what…", but the white-furred mouse put a finger in the air as his big ears moved from front to back.  
"_Sssshh!_ Listen…"  
His bro's shared a confused look but did what they were told.  
The faint sound of banging was heard in the distance and now Throttle froze too.  
He would recognize that sound everywhere, Earth or Mars.  
"Gunfire."  
Vinnie shook his head.  
"Not _just _gunfire, it's a Plutarkian L86 LSW machine gun."  
Both Throttle and Modo stared at the white-furred mouse with a bit dazed look on their face.  
"Is he still suffering from side effects from that sedative, or…?", Modo asked out of the corner of his mouth, but Throttle wasn't so sure about that.  
That nagging feeling of worry was back again and after that short but divine moment of feeling complete carelessness, the burden now felt ten times heavier.  
"Are you sure?", he asked, although he already knew the white-furred mouse was.  
The leader of the trio was familiar with the, perhaps slightly concerning, obsession the young mouse had with weapons.  
It wasn't the first time that he was able to recognize a particular gun type from miles away and most definitely not the last.  
_Fish.  
_The white-furred mouse threw off his blanket and reached for the gun that was supposed to be in his leg holster, which was now empty.  
He then remembered the whole weapon debacle and he frowned in annoyance.  
Throttle walked closer to him and pulled the left pant leg up in total silence, revealing the hidden gun.  
Vinnie looked at his leader with his eyes wide open.  
"Yous cheeky little rascal, disobeying direct orders already?"  
But then a big grin appeared on his face.  
"I love it!"  
The tan-furred mouse only shrugged and laid his hand on Vinnie's arm.  
"Are you sure?"  
The white-furred adrenaline junkie pulled the small handgun out of his ankle holster.  
"Oh, I'm sure alright. It's Plutarkian gunfire. And when I think of Plutarkians…"  
He whirled the gun around his finger and loaded it with a loud click.  
"...that makes me wanna whip some tail", he finished his sentence with a raw voice.  
"Vincent, don't…", Throttle started since he knew what was next, but Vinnie already jumped out of the bed, his broken leg completely forgotten.  
But when his right foot landed on the wooden floor, his leg gave out and he just collapsed like a sack of Martian Patty Potatoes.  
"Ouch!"  
"... jump outta the bed…", Throttle sighed. "Your leg is still healing, bro."  
"Ya don't say… Dammit", Vinnie moaned, holding his leg with his teeth clenched in pain.  
"What _I _think is that that stuff the doc gave ya is still messing with your head, Vin", Modo opened his mouth again, clearly he didn't believe a word the young mouse said.  
"I get it, though, with everything that happened on Mars…"  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes in confusion, because what the hell had this all to do with _'what happened on Mars_', but before he could say something back, Modo already broke the rope around his bionic arm.  
The cannon popped out and back in a few times as if he was doing a warming up.  
"But one thing's for sure, there's a fight going on outside and I'm not just gonna sit around and do nothing. The people of this camp might need our help, so why don't we give it to them? I think we so much owe it to them after what they did for us."

Throttle was about to answer, but then the flap of the tent opened, letting in the daylight and the mice protected their eyes against this sudden bright light.  
A silhouette walked inside, followed by another one and the flap closed again.  
"Ah, you're finally awake."  
Her voice was calm, a fact that came as a total surprise to Throttle since there was obviously something going on outside.  
Then why wasn't she worried?  
"Your ability to observe is astonishing, sweetheart", Vinnie replied dryly, still sitting on the ground.  
He then realized he was still holding the small gun and since he wasn't sure how this woman would react if she saw that his beloved fearless leader had kept this from her, he quickly hid it behind his back as he gave her one of his most charming smiles.  
A soft buzzing sound told Throttle that Modo quickly folded his laser back into his bionic arm and he couldn't stop the smile that curled his lips.  
They behaved like schoolboys who got caught with their hand in the cooky jar.  
They all three would ride out, straight into battle without feeling so much of a pang of fear, but to wake a woman's wrath, well…  
That was a whole other story.  
But just as quickly as the smile appeared, it was gone.  
_Finally awake.  
_"How long were we out?"  
Charley shrugged.  
"About thirty hours, I think."  
Throttle's eyes grew big in surprise.  
"_Thirty_ hours?!"  
"Wow, that oughta be a record", Modo mumbled impressed.

The tan-furred mouse could only agree with that statement.  
Usually, they slept for five or six hours tops. The weirdest thing was that after such a short night he always woke up with a clear head, but not now.  
His head was still pounding, his whole body was still aching and he was still as tired as sixty Martian Catty Cats.  
One should think it would be the other way around.  
Perhaps the last day on Mars had cost him more than he liked to admit.  
"I guess you needed it", Charley guessed his thoughts.  
"Maybe…"  
The other person who had entered the tent along with Charley turned out to be Ben, who now kneeled next to Vinnie.  
"How's your leg?", he asked kindly.  
"It's fine…", the white-furred mouse answered slowly, stretching the word _'fine'_ as he looked at Ben suspiciously.  
A mouse who grows up in war is cursed to be paranoid, always in doubt if one could be trusted or not.  
And even though Ben had already proven to be trustworthy, Vinnie was still a bit cautious.  
Throttle couldn't really blame him since his younger bro hadn't heard the conversation he and Modo had with the doctor while the latter was patching up his leg.  
But his distant attitude didn't offend the friendly human male, no, quite the opposite.  
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna touch you again. I was just wondering how my patient was doing", he laughed, his brown eyes twinkling.  
Vinnie, who was still holding his leg, relaxed a little and studied the male next to him.  
He then looked at Throttle, who gave him a small nod to tell his little bro that the man who was sitting next to him was on their side and could be trusted.  
The tan-furred mouse then focussed his attention back on Charley, trying very hard to not to drown in her strange yet beautiful eyes.  
"It sounds like you've got some trouble out there…", he immediately cut to the chase.  
It was time she was gonna give him some answers.  
"It's nothing we can't handle, don't worry about it. You guys are perfectly safe", she reassured him, not knowing he wasn't worried about being safe.  
Well, perhaps he was, in the end.  
But she made it sound as if they weren't able to protect themselves.  
As if they weren't soldiers with years of fighting experience.  
As if they needed someone else to keep them safe.

But that was the ego talking.  
So it didn't come as a surprise that Vinnie began to prance.  
"Safe? Safe is boring and besides… what gave ya the impression that we need someone else to keep us safe, huh? I hate to state the obvious, but_ come on_… have you seen this strong and studly body?", he bragged as he flexed his muscles while giving the human lady one of his most arrogant smiles.  
"I've seen better…", Charley snorted, perhaps thinking that would shut the white-furred mouse up.  
She had no idea.  
"Maybe. But not with this much charm."  
Again, Charley gave Throttle this questionable look, telling him she still had no idea if the young mouse was messing with her or being serious.  
It was then when the weirdest thing happened.  
He couldn't stop it, nor he could explain it.  
But he felt… relief.  
He was _actual_ being relieved that she didn't succumb to the charms of the white-furred mouse, a thing he usually didn't care for.  
And it shook him to the core.  
"Are you sure you ain't need our help, ma'am?", Modo asked politely, oblivious to the shock his bro and leader had to process.  
"I'm sure, but thanks anyway. And don't call me ma'am. It makes me feel old", she said not unfriendly before smoothly changing the subject.  
"I've brought food. I figured you guys must be starving."  
"Food?", Vinnie and Modo asked eagerly in unison.  
Knowing she was doing this to distract them, Throttle looked at the plate with food that Ben had put on one of the beds after he came in.  
He didn't recognize the food, but it smelled good.  
It looked like her little diversionary tactic was working, after all.  
Hunger was a cruel thing and although they all three were used to not eating for a long period, smelling the delicious scent next to seeing the food made him realize how hungry he actually was.  
The same was true for his bro's, who were staring at the food almost slobbering like Sand Raiders.  
Well, the tan-furred mouse could've sworn that his youngest bro was really drooling.  
But it didn't matter.  
Everything was forgotten, the only thing that mattered now was to kill this all-consuming hunger.

"What is it?", Vinnie asked as he crawled closer and took one piece of food from the pile that was lying on the plate.  
"It's called a hotdog", Ben answered that question.  
"A hotdog, 'ey?"  
Vinnie sniffed at the food, but the hunger beat his paranoia in one fell swoop.  
He was so hungry he could eat a whole Memphant with skin and hair, so how could this little… _thing_ be a problem?  
"Hey man, no guts no glory", and he took a bite.  
While he was chewing on the for them unknown food, Modo and Throttle watched him carefully.  
But Vinnie's thoughtful frown soon disappeared and his eyes started to twinkle.  
"Thwis is swo gwood", he mumbled with his mouth still full, gesturing at his bro's to dig in.  
That was enough for the other two to join the party and soon, the whole plate was empty.  
Vinnie was right, the food was delicious.  
Throttle had never eaten something so good like this hotdog, it was even the first food that was able to give him a satisfying feeling, which was another additional advantage.  
Apparently, his bro's had the same feeling, because Modo had this rare contended look on his face and Vinnie burped loudly, which yielded him a smack against the back of his head coming from the master of chivalry.  
"That is _not_ how you behave in front of a lady, bro", the grey-furred giant lectured his younger bro, but the white-furred mouse didn't agree with that statement.  
"What? It's a way of showing my appreciation."  
"Weird way to show it, if ya ask me…"  
"But I didn't ask ya, so stop talking."  
Modo froze by hearing this smart-ass remark, his eye flickering red a couple of times and Throttle quickly intervened before a huge wrestling match would start.  
He may not know much about Earth, but he highly doubted that the tent they were in was able to survive two Martian Cave Mice kicking each other's asses.  
"Guys, guys, take it easy or take it outside, okay?"  
Without waiting for a response, he looked at Ben.  
"Say doc, you happen to have more of that cold water?"  
"I sure do", the man smiled and after taking them out of the weird white box, he gave all three mice another bottle.  
"Wow! This is so cool", Vinnie exclaimed as he slowly turned the bottle upside down and back, watching how the water moved along inside the bottle.  
Since he was out the last time Ben had given them water, he was now seeing this for the first time and he was absolutely stunned.  
While the youngest of them was still watching the bottle with awe, Throttle opened his and emptied it at once. His body was yearning for some moisture and Ben must have sensed it because after he'd finished the first, the human doctor gave him another bottle.  
And another one.  
And another one.  
After five bottles, the headache was finally gone.  
So was the desert in his mouth and he felt a little bit more mouse again.  
"Okay, note to myself. Martian Mice need about twenty hotdogs and five gallons of water to satisfy their appetite…_ each_", Ben mumbled impressed as he wrote something down in a pocketbook.

All this time, Charley was just sitting on Throttle's bed and watching them with those big green eyes of her, the sound of gunfire still hearable in the background.  
She was so calm.  
So… steady.  
And Throttle wondered what was needed to impress this serene woman.  
Aliens from outer space didn't do the trick, obviously.  
Guns didn't either.  
Even Vinnie's charms didn't.  
He then suddenly remembered her look when Vinnie's bike had almost killed two of her best men.  
So bikes did.  
Well, bikes with AI, that is.  
Interesting.  
_She_ was interesting.  
Everything about her was interesting.  
_Why though?  
_He quickly pushed these pointless thoughts away, for it was now time to talk.  
Slowly, he sat down across her on Vinnie's bed. Feeling warmth close by his knees, he looked down and saw that her knees almost touched his.  
It gave him more than an uneasy feeling, he wasn't sure why, but it just did.  
So, he set his feet on the wooden floor and pushed the bed back a little to create some proper distance.  
Then, he folded his arms and looked back into her green eyes.  
She was hard to read, that he knew now. As if she'd locked away her feelings and emotions.  
_Why though?  
_"It's time you're gonna give us some answers now", he said instead, calm but insisting.  
They'd waited long enough now.  
Charley heaved a sigh.  
"You're right. You have every right to know what is going on here, it's just… I don't like to talk about it."  
The knot in his stomach was back.  
"And why is that?"

But before she could answer him, a loud explosion in the distance made the ground tremble.  
Throttle clenched his fingers around the mattress of the bed but didn't move.  
He kept a close eye on the human woman in front of him, who again, wasn't impressed.  
Her face remained blank, she didn't even blink.  
The flap of the tent opened again and Max popped his head inside.  
"Charley, we need you by the gate, now."  
And without waiting for an answer, he was already gone.  
Charley slowly rose on her feet and gave Throttle an apologetic look.  
"I'm sorry. You guys just stay here and get some more rest. I'll be back as soon as I can and then we'll talk."  
She walked towards the exit and gestured to Ben to follow her.  
"Charley, wait, we…", Throttle started, but she was already gone.  
"Don't you just love it when a girl plays hard to get?", Vinnie snickered.  
Throttle gave him a glare, but Vinnie didn't see it as he carefully climbed back on his feet.  
Resting his weight on his left foot, he looked at his bro's.  
"But that explosion was a Plutarkian M65 Termite grenade. So tell me, since when do we sit out a fight, huh? Ain't it our duty as heroes to save the day?"  
"Aside from the Plutarkian part, he does have a point", Modo said to Throttle, still thinking that his youngest bro was being a bit delusional.  
The tan-furred mouse for once agreed with his eager young bro too. He was sick and tired of being kept in the dark.  
"Okay. On one condition, we keep a low profile. With only two guns, damaged bikes and one of us out of order we're not exactly at our best."  
"Hey, don't sweat it, bro…", Vinnie smiled as he already limped to the exit of the tent.  
"We'll be as quiet as mice…"


	8. Chapter 8

Hey you guys...

Of course, I wanna start with -again- a big thanks for the reviews, the follows and the favs.  
It warmed my heart.

And I'm sorry, it's been a while, mostly because I was on a two-week vacation in the most awesome country in the world; the USA.  
But I'm back now and I even managed to finish another chapter.  
Gotta admit, I'm feeling a bit insecure to upload after all these amazing updates here on fanfiction, I mean, I can't reach that, but after long deliberation, I've decided not to let my insecurity stop me from doing what I love; to write and share it with you guys.

Pfew, I needed that to get off my chest.  
Anyway, that being said, on with the story.  
Enjoy and feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated.

Till next time, dudes!

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Woaaaoow, what's this?"  
Vinnie's high pitched voice sounded next to muted because he was already outside a bit shocked too.  
That was something that didn't happen that often, so Throttle and Modo shared a worried look before quickly rushing towards the exit of the tent.  
The tan-furred popped his head out first, squeezing his eyes against the bright light of the sun.  
"What's wrong, bro?"  
"Did your swelled head get stuck?", Modo asked as he too popped his head outside.  
The white-furred mouse was standing right outside the tent and pointed down, clearly, he hadn't heard Modo's teasing remark given the fact he didn't protest.  
"What is up with this green stuff, man?"  
Throttle followed the direction Vinnie was pointing at with his eyes and he narrowed them behind his glasses.  
The ground was covered with a green layer.  
It wasn't smooth, more like pointy, but the soft wind made it dance like it was hair.  
Still confused, he looked up and his bionic eyes scanned the surrounding area.  
The green stuff covered the ground as far as he could look and in the distance, he saw the fence that surrounded the camp.  
His gaze wandered over the buildings at his right and the tents on his left, now knowing that their tent wasn't the only one.  
Roads made of sand, a substance he knew all too well, were visible between the green areas, but no road led to their tent.  
He then gazed up to the sky, which was blue instead of pink as it was on Mars.

_A weird planet it was... Earth. _

After a small hesitation, the tan-furred leader stepped outside and laid a hand on Vinnie's shoulder as he still looked around him.  
"Oh, momma… Have you ever seen anything like this?", Modo asked as he now joined them too, his heavy voice filled with awe.  
"It's kinda beautiful…"  
"Yeah…"  
Throttle slowly went down on his knees and stretched his arm.  
His hand floated right above the ground for a moment, but after taking a deep breath, he lowered it and his fingers slid through the weird green hairs.  
It did feel soft, but still rougher than hair.  
"It seems to be harmless too", he concluded.  
"Ya think we can just walk over it?", Vinnie asked a little sheepishly. "I mean, what if they use this as camouflage for landmines? Or worse, as decoration?"  
His bro's gave him a confused look before both shaking their head.  
"You really need to sort out your priorities, man…", Modo mumbled.  
"Besides, why would they boobytrap their own land?", Throttle asked. "I mean, if that's the case I think Charley would've told us."  
"Ha, right, because she's _so_ generous with sharing information", Vinnie snorted.  
His young bro did have a point there, but the tan-furred mouse felt some sort of reluctance to say that out loud, and not only because of his bro's ego.  
Shaking off the weird feeling, he did a few steps forward.  
"We already walked over it when we arrived here, we just didn't see it because it was pitch black, so I don't think we have to worry about demolishing their decoration. No… I think we're good."  
After taking another few steps without being blown to the seventh galaxy, his body relaxed a little. The gunfire sounded closer now and the leader signed his bro's to follow him.  
"Come on, boys. Time to get us some answers."

As they got closer to the fence, Modo suddenly spotted something that made this weird day way better already.  
"Hey, bro's, look! Our bikes!"  
The bikes were at the same spot as where they'd left them behind, namely; in the back of the truck.  
By the looks of things, the people from the camp hadn't touched them, not really surprising given the violent encounter two of the men had with Vinnie's bike the other day.  
So, humans do have self-preservation Throttle mentally noted to himself, a thing he was fine with.  
He didn't like it if someone else touched his bike, much less ride it and he knew his bro's were on the same page on this one.  
_Definitely _on the same page.  
They all three walked over to the bikes, well, in Vinnie's case; _limped_.  
Still, even with one leg, he managed to arrive at the truck before his bro's did and he opened the boot lid.  
With a little effort, he climbed in on all fours, sat down and rested his head against the unharmed side of his bike.  
"Man, sweetheart, it's so good to see you", he mumbled while gently rubbing the cherry red paint.  
The bike beeped back happily and the white-furred mouse now looked at his two bro's.  
"So, what are we waiting for? Let's whip some tail!"  
"I hate to bring you down, bro, but it appears my bike is in much worse shape than I remember...", Throttle answered as he rubbed his chin, looking at his bike.  
The front tire was flat, the handlebars were standing in a wrong angle and a few loose wires popped out of the bottom.  
Apparently, whatever he hit right before his tires touched the ground during that rough landing had managed to do some serious damage.  
"Same goes for Lil' Hoss", Modo sighed as he laid his hand on the leather saddle. Both the tires were flat and the frame was bent.  
"My poor baby…"  
"So once again, it appears that my bike is the strongest of all three, next to being the fastest, _of course_", Vinnie started with an arrogant smirk as he mounted his red racer. But before his bro's could retort, he now saw the other side of his bike and his smile vanished like smoke in the wind.  
"You were saying, Vincent?", Throttle asked dryly when he too saw the damage after walking around the truck.  
It appeared that the bike had landed on its right side after falling from the great height.  
The covers on the right were caved in, at some places even torn, the rear tire was crooked next to flat and the right handlebar had broken off.  
"Ah, man…"  
Modo smiled by seeing the sour look on his younger bro his face.  
"We _all _know that my bike is the best, bro, and certainly not that tin can of yours."  
Vinnie's head jerked up.  
"Tin can? _Tin can_? Exc_uuuuu_se me?!"  
All three mice were more than just attached to their bikes, the impressive machines were like an extension from themselves.  
The always endless discussion about which bike was the best was a common thing among the three bro's.  
Most of the time, it was just big talk, but there had been times when things escalated into playing hardball.  
One did _not _want to interfere with Martian Cave Mice who played hardball unless one had a certain deathwish.  
"Guys, guys…", Throttle started his attempt to tell his two bro's they needed to stay focused instead of bickering like two kids, but then another explosion made the ground tremble again.  
There was nothing, absolutely _nothing_ in this entire universe that worked better than an explosion to get the attention of a Martian Mouse and therefore, both Vinnie and Modo stopped with what they were doing and looked at their leader.  
The tan-furred mouse gave his bike one last regretful glance before he straightened his back.  
"The bikes can wait. Let's find out what the hell is going on on this planet."

They continued to follow the sound and soon, they stood near the fence.  
It was made of some iron material and as tall as a building.  
Throttle looked up and saw the sharp points on top, just like he had seen earlier. He then looked at his right.  
Every few meters stood a ladder that led to a plateau high enough to make it able for the person standing on it to aim the gun over the fence without getting completely caught in the crossfire, the body protected by the iron material of the fence.  
The tan-furred mouse now looked at his left and saw the same plateau's, each manned by three humans who were shooting back at whatever was out there.  
Further on the left, he saw the entrance of the camp, recognizable by the big sign wrapped in barbwire that hung above it.  
Next to the gate stood a scaffold with a small cabin on top from which Throttle assumed was a lookout tower.  
He saw a glimpse of auburn hair and that made him conclude that Charley, and possibly Max too, were inside the small cabin.  
Looking up again, he decided to stay here to explore.  
In a way, he had the feeling that Charley wouldn't like it that they were snooping around without her specific permission, but then again, she never literally told them that they weren't allowed to leave the tent.  
Ben even told them they weren't prisoners and free to do as they pleased.  
And so they did.  
If Charley wasn't giving him answers, he was gonna find them by himself.

Again, that somehow familiar smell filled his nostrils, the same he'd smelled right after their not so smooth landing.  
_Fish.  
__Plutarkian gunfire.  
_"You guys smell that?", he asked his bro's, hoping that his nose was telling lies, that his brain was playing some sick game.  
Both took a few deep breaths before Vinnie's face twisted in disgust.  
"Ugh, man… It sure stinks. Hey, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear that stink is…"  
"Plutarkian", Modo filled in for him. He gave his bro's a confused look.  
"But that's not possible, right?"  
"Hey! I already told ya that I heard Plutarkian weapons. There's nothing wrong with my hearing!", Vinnie protested, punching his older bro on the arm, who still didn't believe him.  
"Yeah, right. How can there be nothing wrong with your hearing as being the self-proclaimed master of disaster, huh? All these explosions of yours must have damaged something in there, bro. There's no way that there are Plutarkians at the other side of that wall!"  
Modo's heavy voice gave away a hint of anger, his eye even flickered red a couple of times and Throttle wasn't sure why the big guy was in such denial.  
Of course, the tan-furred mouse still hoped that his young bro was wrong, but there were too many signs…  
Signs he couldn't ignore.  
Vinnie snorted, being annoyed that his older bro didn't believe him, even declared him crazy.  
"Well, only one way to find out", and he limped to the ladder. He then looked up and rubbed his chin before looking back at his leg.  
After repeating that movement a couple of times, he turned around and gave Modo one of his trademark smiles.  
"How about a leg up, big fella?"  
Modo rolled his one eye but did what his young bro asked him.  
The sooner that white-furred loudmouth was gonna see with his own eyes that he was wrong on so many levels, the better.  
After all, what were the odds that they were crashed on a planet that was being invaded by Plutarkians after fleeing from one?  
Zero.  
Nada.  
Niente.

The big Martian Mouse positioned himself next to the ladder with his back towards the fence.  
He then cupped his hands while slightly bending the knees.  
Vinnie did a few clumsy steps back, his leg still way too painful to put some weight on it.  
It was time to be creative to get up there and make his point without overloading his still injured leg.  
"Ready when you are, little bro."  
"Born ready, remember?", Vinnie smirked as he bend over.  
After carefully placing his hands on the weird green stuff, he made a handstand.  
Just like he'd practiced when that siren went off, back on Mars.  
It felt like ages ago.  
Biting his lower lip, he bend his elbows and with all the strength he had, which was a lot, he pushed himself off the ground.  
Once in the air, he turned his body and landed with his left foot in Modo's hands.  
The grey-furred giant bend further through the knees before stretching them to push his young bro up with all the strength he had him, which was even more than Vinnie, making him fly into the air.  
Luckily for the white-furred youngster, he didn't fly high enough to look over the fence or more to the point; to get shot.  
Vinnie made himself small and after a few perfectly smooth somersaults, he landed on his left foot on the plateau.  
"Top of the morning, fella's!", he greeted the three human males who were already up there and now froze.  
Well, two of them did, the third one made a weird little jump as a high scream left his mouth.  
They all three looked over their shoulder with eyes big as saucers, startled by this unexpected company.  
"What in the name of God?", the right one managed to bring out.  
"How in the world did he get up here without us noticing?", the middle asked incredulously.  
"Holy shit, that's one of these mice Charley told us about!", the left one exclaimed.  
"I can see that my reputation is already preceding me", Vinnie snickered arrogant as he pushed two of the three men aside for a good view.  
"Excuse me, gents, but this is a matter of life or death."

Exaggerating was one of the many talents the white-furred youngster had, although in his world, being right was indeed a matter of life or death.  
He would do everything to get his right.  
His ruby red eyes peeked over the fence and his smile got even bigger as he made a little victory dance on one foot.  
"See?! I told ya! I told ya, I told ya, I told ya! There is nothing wrong with my hearing!", he babbled excitedly, but then he suddenly froze.  
Because he was indeed looking at a group Plutarkians who were attacking Camp Hope.  
Camp Hope.  
Chicago.  
_Earth_.  
"Shit…"  
He had been so focused on getting even, he hadn't thought for a second what it meant if he was indeed being right and it hit him like a wave.  
Plutarkians.  
On Earth.  
"Ah, man… Can you believe this shit?"  
They'd fled from their home planet after fighting for freedom for years, after fighting this cruel race originate from the planet Plutark who destroyed everything he once had.  
A race who felt superior to every other species in the entire galaxy.  
Oh, how much he hated them for it.  
And if being forced to flee wasn't bad enough already, they had managed to crash on another planet that was being destroyed, that was being stolen from its people.  
Bit by bit... little by little…  
By the same cruel race called Plutarkian.  
This was so ridiculous, it was almost funny.  
Well, maybe not funny, but ironic to say at least.

Throttle, who was now standing behind him, looked between the big ears of his younger bro over the fence and his heart dropped.  
Vincent was right.  
That fact alone was bad enough since the young mouse would now make it his day job to constantly remind them that he was right and they were wrong.  
But that paled in comparison to what he was looking at right now.  
_Plutarkians_.  
He would do anything to have Vinnie's bragging as main concern.  
It felt like the ground was about to crumble out from under him and an invisible strap around his torso made it difficult to breathe.  
He'd made a promise.  
He'd promised that he would lead his bro's, his family to a better place after that devastating day on Mars.  
He'd made that promise right before they launched into space, leaving their home planet behind.  
After losing everything.  
_Two days_.  
It took him just two days to break that promise.

Modo, who already had a very bad feeling giving his bro's reactions, still needed to see it by himself to believe it. He knew it wasn't exactly mature, but he kept having this feeling of almost _childish_ denial.  
If one just looked the other way, it wasn't there.  
It just didn't exist.  
But the grey-furred giant knew it was now time to face reality.  
Doubting his young bro was one thing, but to look the other way to ignore the unadulterated truth was another matter entirely.  
So, he laid his hands, one metal, one flesh, on the metal edge of the fence in the small spaces between the sharp points and after taking a deep breath, he looked down.  
It felt as if he was looking at a mirage. He'd seen mirages on Mars.  
Something one could see that wasn't there or something that was there, but one couldn't see.  
Mirages were deceiving.  
This, however, was real.  
And it broke his heart.  
Another planet that was being destroyed, another planet that was taken away from its inhabitants.  
Bit by bit… little by little…  
"Oh, momma…"

Vinnie was the first to recover from the shock and he now saw that the Plutarkians were gaining ground, using brute force to get closer and closer to the fence.  
The white-furred mouse then looked at his left.  
On every plateau, the humans returned fire as an attempt to keep the fishes at a distance, but his exquisitely trained eye could see they weren't all familiarised with a weapon.  
In fact, most of them gave the impression they were even uncomfortable with firing the gun, although the young mouse admired the fact that they at least tried.  
The same was true at his right he saw after turning his head.  
His hands were itching to take over, but he'd promised Throttle to keep a low profile.  
But the thing was, keeping a low profile wasn't exactly one of his best qualities.  
While he was having his inner battle, another explosion made him look at his left, so did his bro's.  
"They're about to breach through the fence!", a male voice yelled in sheer panic.  
"We need to stop them before they make it inside the camp!", another voice screamed.  
Perhaps the humans were used to keep the fish at a distance, but now the Plutarkians were about to invade the camp it was panic that took over and everybody was firing their gun at random, creating even more chaos.  
The three men standing next to Vinnie had already opened fire again, the weird creatures behind them completely forgotten.  
After watching them for a short moment, the white-furred mouse rolled his eyes in annoyance because of the stupidity of these human beings and his instinct took over.  
"Ugh, gimme that", and he yanked the gun out of the hands from the guy at his right, who gave a soft yell of indignation in return, one Vinnie ignored.  
The young mouse took a quick look at the gun, for it was different than the ones he owned. Still, the concept was the same.  
Steady, aim, fire and _boom_… the target ain't no threat anymore.  
"Come on, bro's, we're not just gonna stand here and do nothing, right?", and after spinning the gun around his finger, he aimed and opened fire.  
Of course, he didn't miss and his shots were each carefully targeted.  
One by one, the fish closest to the fence went down.  
"Aaaaoooww, eat that, stinkfaces! No one is endangering planets when the baddest mamma jammer from Mars is around!", the white-furred mouse cheered happily.  
"Come on, big fella, before he's basking the glory all by himself", Throttle said to his older bro as he turned around and gently but firmly took the gun from the guy who stood next to him.  
"Sorry, but I need to borrow this for a moment, thank you very much."  
The guy didn't respond, he was staring at Vinnie who was now balancing on one foot on the edge of the fence, still shooting at the Plutarkians at his left and still not missing one single shot.  
"Show-off", Throttle murmured as he shook his head, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling a bit.  
He then looked at his other bro.  
"You take the right side, Modo, I'll handle the ones in the front."  
The grey-furred giant nodded and his laser popped out of his bionic arm.  
"No problem", and he too opened fire.  
Throttle loaded the gun he took from the human male, feeling a pang of annoyance when he noticed how sluggish the mechanism was.  
The gun was of an older type he didn't know and looking at Vinnie, humans apparently used bullets instead of laser.  
Bullet guns were rare on Mars because they were known to be slow, next to the fact that you could run out of ammo in the middle of a fight.  
The odds of that happening with a laser gun were extremely small, so it was no surprise that the mice preferred laser.  
It was the Martian Government Army who used bullet guns and look what that brought them.  
Defeat after defeat before being completely wiped out.  
With a sigh, Throttle rested the barrel of the gun on the metal edge of the fence and opened fire.  
Perhaps he wasn't that obsessed with weapons like his younger bro, he did have some preferences and this wasn't one of them.  
But right now, he had to make the best of it because it was obvious the humans needed help.  
And so he and his bro's gave it to them.  
It was the least they could do after what the people in this camp had done for them and there simply wasn't enough time to go look for their own weapons.

Vinnie was, of course, having the time of his life, even though the weapon in his hands was ancient and slow, but it didn't bother him that much.  
Sadly, fighting a war was all he'd ever known, but it was something he was good at and so he didn't complain.  
Soon, his gun was empty but instead of giving it back to its original owner, he dropped it on the head of a Plutarkian right under him and the unfortunate fellow went down like a brick.  
"Ha! Who said that bullet guns are boring?", and he made a backflip.  
After landing on his left foot back on the platform, he quickly snatched the small handgun out of his ankle holster and continued the firefight.  
Throttle was a bit neater than his impulsive little bro because when his gun was empty, he gave it back to the guy from who he had taken it in the first place.  
"Thanks, mate."  
He then took the gun from the third guy with an apologetic look on his face.  
"Sorry, but this is an emergency."  
"Sure, take it, it's yours, all yours", the human babbled a bit dazed, deeply impressed by the shooting skills of all three mice.

Soon, and with the help of a few humans who did know how to use a weapon, the mice managed to take down most of the Plutarkians.  
The few who survived quickly fled the scene, accompanied by loud cheering of the human crowd.  
"That's right! You run!"  
"Run back to your mother, you Samaki pussy!"  
"And stay away this time!"  
"Aaaaooww, hell yeah, no doubt, the Biker Mice are back in the game!", Vinnie howled happily, clearly enjoying the attention of the people around him who were now cheering at all three of them, but of course, the young mouse had no problem with taking credit.  
"Please, please, autographs later… Forget the thank you notes, the expensive gifts, this is just what heroes do!"  
Throttle and Modo shared a look and heaved a sigh at the same time.  
"Oh momma, they shouldn't boost his ego like that…"  
"Nope… But hey, at least we know what the main topic of our conversations is gonna be for the next six months…"  
"As if he took care of it all by himself..."  
"Yeah, well, what's new?"  
"It doesn't make it less annoying, though."  
"I feel ya, big guy, I feel ya…"  
It was a female voice who interrupted their little male grumble session.  
"Making friends already, huh?"  
Throttle looked at his right and saw Charley taking the last steps on the ladder.  
"I thought I told you guys to take some rest but apparently, these words have a different meaning on Mars than they do here on Earth…"  
The tan-furred mouse looked into her green eyes, searching for a hint to find out if she was mad or not.  
Again, he noticed how hard she was to read, how she was able to lock away her emotions.  
The only thing that stood out was the small frown between her brows being absent.  
That was good news.  
_Was it?  
_"We uh… we were just…", he started, but to his utter shock, he noticed he was _actual_ stuttering.  
He _never_ stuttered.  
Modo gave him a look before taking over.  
"We just wanted to help, Charley ma'am, we meant no disrespect", he said polity.

Throttle opened his mouth as an attempt to save what was left to be saved but he clammed up and so he quickly closed it again, mainly to avoid he was gonna embarrass himself even more.  
He had no idea what had gotten into him.  
Perhaps it had something to do with what happened on their last day on Mars, for it was a deep and dark day, but he somehow found that very hard to believe.  
Charley's gaze wandered from Modo back to him and for a moment, she just stared at him with that intense look in those beautiful green eyes of her.  
Then, without any warning, a big smile appeared on her face as her eyes started to twinkle and Throttle felt how his mouth became dry.  
"Are you kidding? Disrespect? What you guys just did was… _awesome!_", she exclaimed.  
The happy look on her face was more than just cute and Throttle wondered if this was a glimpse of the person she once was, instead of that serious and sad woman she was nowadays.  
It was then when Vinnie decided to interfere, now the threat of a scolding was gone.  
_Of course.  
_"You think this was awesome? Oh, man, you should see us when we're really getting wild, sweetheart. This was just a warm-up", he said when he popped up next to her, smiling his most charming smile.  
Charley looked at her side, straight into the twinkling red eyes of the youngest of the trio.  
"Oh really?", she asked, still with that smile on her face but Throttle heard a slight sarcastic subtext.  
Vinnie, however, was completely oblivious, seeing her attention pointed at him as an open door and so, he started to babble about him and his bike being undefeatable, how good he was when he used weapons of his own, even something about a fan club back on Mars…  
_Blablabla...  
_Throttle rolled his eyes behind his glasses, a childish gesture, that he knew.  
Luckily, nobody was able to see it because of his specs and he turned his gaze away, taken back a bit by this unexpected feeling of annoyance.  
Because that's what he was.  
Annoyed that his younger bro was flirting with Charley this openly and insolent.  
Like he always did when a female was around.  
So why did he care so much?  
Usually, he didn't.  
As the tan-furred mouse was still wrapped up in this inner conflict, the wind suddenly turned and a breeze went through Charley's hair.  
At first, Throttle didn't even notice, for it seemed to be innocent.  
But suddenly, a delicious smell tickled his nostrils and without thinking, he took a deep breath.  
Looking back, he just wished he didn't.  
Because the way his body reacted made him even more confused than he already was.  
If he thought that feeling relief because she didn't succumb to Vinnie's charms earlier that day was weird and shocking, how was he supposed to describe what happened right now?  
He had no idea.

From the moment he smelled her scent, a shock went through his whole body and he suddenly felt every nerve, small and big, tingle like never before.  
It was like his body woke up after being asleep for a very long time and it was the weirdest experience he ever had.  
His muscles vibrated under his skin and fur as his gaze landed back on Charley.  
It was the first time he saw her in day light and this weird thing that was happening to his body made his vision somehow even sharper, his sense of smell keener and his hearing more accurate, although he couldn't figure out the words Vinnie, Charley and Modo were saying.  
All he could see was how beautiful her skin was in the light.  
How white her teeth were when she smiled.  
How deep green her eyes were, twinkling in the sunlight.  
Her scent was something he'd never smelled before and so there were no words to describe how good it was.  
He also saw how Vinnie was standing a bit too close to her and without any warning, he suddenly got overwhelmed with pure rage.  
His fists clenched with so much strength that he felt his nails cut right through his leather fingerless gloves and skin.  
His tan fur bristled and his long tail lashed through the air.  
Gritting his teeth, he scraped every piece of self-control he owned together to stop himself from doing something he knew he was gonna regret later on, but it was hard.  
All he wanted right now was to grab his younger bro by the scruff and drag him away from her, to wipe that stupid and arrogant smile off his face, to teach him a lesson about how to treat a lady with respect, especially someone special like Charley, and…

"Throttle?"  
Modo's heavy voice made the tan-furred mouse snap back to reality and with that, the anger vanished like smoke in the wind, leaving confusion and shame behind.  
_What the hell?  
_"You okay, bro? You look a little… off…", Modo asked, obviously feeling his bro's distress, but clueless about the reason.  
Throttle took a few deep but shaky breaths as an attempt to calm himself down, but this physical reaction shook him to the core.  
What shocked him even more, as far as that goes, was that he _almost_ lost control just now.  
He never lost control.  
Well, perhaps he did, sometimes, but not like this.  
_Certainly_ not like this.  
Knowing he needed to keep this to himself, he forced himself to give Modo a reassuring smile, but it felt fake.  
Unreal.  
"I ah… I… Yeah, yeah, no harm, no foul."  
His husky voice sounded a few octaves higher than usual, a thing that alerted his older bro even more.  
Throttle couldn't blame him, he was acting weird and he knew it, but he just couldn't stop it.  
That's what frightened him the most.  
That he had little to no control over whatever was happening to him whatsoever.  
He needed to have control.  
Running a shaking hand through his hair, Throttle glanced at Modo, to find his eye fixed upon him in a most searching gaze.  
He then looked at Vinnie, who had even stopped talking to look at his bro and leader.  
Even he felt the waves of distress the tan-furred mouse radiated and just like Modo, he had no idea why their leader was being this upset all of a sudden.  
At this very moment, Throttle had no intention to tell them what just happened, for he had no idea either.  
The burning gazes of both his bro's made the usually unflappable leader even more uneased and so he cleared his throat as he looked at Charley.  
For the first time since ever, he was happy with the specs that were resting on his nose because now he could avoid looking Charley in the eye without her noticing.  
Without _anybody_ noticing for that matter.  
Focussing his attention on her nose, he kept his breathing as shallow as possible.  
"We need to…"  
"...talk. I know", Charley finished his sentence and she already started her climb down, clearly, she hadn't picked up Throttle's distress, or perhaps she pretended not to.  
Either way, he was grateful for it.  
"Follow me."  
When Throttle gestured to his bro's to go first, his mind was already elsewhere again and therefore, he didn't see the confused and worried look that Modo and Vinnie shared.  
There was only one question that kept repeating in his head, for a moment everything else including the Plutarkians forgotten.  
_What on Mars **and** Earth was wrong with him?  
_

* * *

_'Separate...  
__Sifting through the wreckage __I can't concentrate...  
__Searching for a message i__n the fear and pain..._  
_Broken down and waiting f__or the chance to feel alive...'_


	9. Chapter 9

Hey you guys!

Thank you so much for the reviews!  
Hmmm, yeah, there's definitely something happening to Throttle, hehe.  
Poor guy.

**SpaceFlora**: No, haven't been to Chicago, unfortunately!  
Last year, I was in California and when we went for lunch in San Fransisco, I spotted a "real Wrigley Field Hot Dog" on the menu, so of course, I ordered that one, hehe. It was great. Not sure if it was a real one, though, but hey, the idea alone was awesome.  
Also tried rootbeer, but yuck, not my taste.  
But Chicago is still on my list of places I wanna go. Who knows, someday?  
Omg, I'm such a groupie XD

Aaaaaanyway...  
On with the story!  
Next chapter, hope you guys like it!  
Enjoy! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"I really don't trust that guy", Vinnie said softly with his ruby-red eyes fixed on Max's back who walked next to Charley.  
"Me neither", Modo answered.  
Soon after they'd left the platform, Max had joined them and the three mice had, as if on cue, immediately created some distance.  
That had more than one reason.  
First of all, to give the two humans some privacy in case they needed it.  
Their second reason was that they didn't want to be close to Max for they obviously didn't trust him.  
Throttle's third reason -and his alone- was that he didn't want to be close to Charley as well.  
Not after what happened on that platform.  
With the help of a few mind-calming exercises he once learned from Stoker, the tan-furred mouse had managed to find back most of his balance and calm, but he was still a bit shaken.  
Behavior like that just wasn't like him, at all. The rage he'd felt was completely new to him.  
One should say that all the shit he'd been through was reason enough to be angry all the time, but he wasn't.  
Simply because that wasn't in his nature.  
And that finding, that _exact_ and _true_ finding made this whole situation more than just confusing.  
Even beyond confusing.  
It just didn't make any sense.  
At all.  
Why didn't he feel that kind of anger when he looked a Plutarkian in the eye?  
Or a rat?  
Or any other enemy for that matter?  
They were the ones who destroyed everything he once had, after all.  
Not Vinnie.  
Certainly not Vinnie.  
Then _why_ was he able to remain calm by looking an enemy straight in the eye, but had he nearly lost control when his younger bro was only flirting with someone he hardly knew?  
More to the point; someone from an entirely different species?  
If only he had the answer to that burning question.  
But he hadn't.  
Much to his annoyance, he hadn't.

"There's just something about him that makes me wanna park my fist on his nose. Like… multiple times. Just saying."  
Vinnie's whispering broke him out of his thoughts and Throttle knew he needed to step up before things might get out of control.  
That tended to happen when Vinnie was involved.  
One could almost call it a talent.  
"Don't even think about it", the tan-furred mouse warned as he looked at his young bro who limped next to him.  
The white-furred mouse didn't look back for he was still staring at Max with a certain intensity, as if he was trying to _stare_ the human to death.  
Or make him stumble and break his neck, or whatever it was he hoped to achieve.  
"What makes you say that? Do _you_ trust him?", Modo responded sharply before Vinnie could.  
Throttle shook his head.  
"No, on the contrary. There's something wrong with him, I just don't know what. _Yet_. But until then, we let him be, okay? We can't just hit him without probable cause."  
"I don't see why not. I mean, isn't his face reason enough?", Vinnie asked, still without turning his gaze away from Max his back.  
"I tend to agree with Vinnie this time. He did call me a rat, after all. Reason enough for me", Modo added, even though this wasn't his usual style.  
But Max had used all his chances, even with him.  
"Bro's, bro's… _Think_. He's close to Charley. We respect Charley, right?", the tan-furred mouse asked, putting his arms around his bro's neck to pull them closer.  
"I guess we do…", Vinnie said slowly.  
"Of course we respect Charley ma'am. She helped us. Without her, we wouldn't be here", Modo responded with a hint of reluctance, already knowing where this was going.  
"There's your answer. Besides, we've got bigger problems right now. _Plutarkian_ problems…"  
That too.  
There was so much happening at the same time, it was hard to keep up with.  
So many mixed feelings.  
_Incomprehensible _feelings.  
Was it ever going to stop?  
Was their life ever going to be simple?  
So many questions.  
So few answers.

Vinnie heaved a sigh at the same time, as if he was guessing Throttle's thoughts, and finally looked up at his older bro.  
"I still have one other question..."  
Throttle froze because he knew what was next.  
For a moment, he'd thought they wouldn't ask.  
For a moment, he'd thought that he was one who got away.  
_Damn you and your curiosity, Vinnie.  
_"What exactly happened on that platform?"  
"Yeah, I was curious about that too. You were clearly upset, bro", Modo added.  
The tan-furred leader let both of them go and put his hands in his pockets.  
What could he say?  
The truth?  
But not even himself knew what the truth was at this point.  
He needed some time to unravel this mess of feelings and emotions.  
But he couldn't lie to his bro's either.  
He had to tell them the truth.  
Just… not the _whole_ truth.  
"Honestly? I don't know. I need some time to figure it out."  
He first looked at his right to see Modo nod at him with a friendly and understanding smile on his face.  
"Sure thing, bro. If that's what you need."  
The grey-furred giant knew his friend and leader must have some idea about what happened, but he obviously wasn't ready to share it yet.  
So, he let it be for now.  
Throttle gave him a small smile back, to thank him for understanding.  
He then looked at his left, straight into a pair of narrowed and suspicious ruby-red eyes.  
Of course, Vinnie wasn't gonna let this go that easily.  
The white-furred mouse always had been a bit too curious for his own good but most of all; he had the patience of a Martian Fishy Fish stick.  
"I dunno, bro. I think you know more than you tell us…"  
"Oh yeah? Well, it's his right to keep some thoughts to himself, ya know. Not everybody likes to talk as much as you do", Modo stood up for his bro and leader.

Vinnie's face darkened, but before he -or Throttle- could respond, Max suddenly turned around and started his journey back to where ever he was going.  
When he walked past the mice, he gave them a dirty look and put his chin in the air, as if he was challenging them to say or do something in front of Charley.  
Throttle looked straight into his brown eyes and again, his fur bristled.  
There really was something wrong with this human, if only he knew what…  
He suddenly noticed that Vinnie had stopped, even worse, he was about to turn around, probably to do something stupid.  
Throttle quickly laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him.  
"Let it go, Vincent. His time will come, trust me. But not now", he said softly so Charley wouldn't hear.  
The young mouse grinded his teeth in annoyance, but he did listen to his older bro.  
For now.  
Throttle had the nagging feeling it would only be a matter of time before the white-furred mouse and Max were gonna collide.  
If Modo wouldn't beat him too it, although the grey-furred giant owned a bit more self-control than their little bro.  
But one thing was for sure; a collision was inevitable, one way or another.  
The only question was_ when_.  
Another problem on the already endless list.

Charley turned around and pointed at a big building behind her, clearly oblivious to the tensions between the human male and the mice.  
"Come on, we can talk here without being bothered", and she opened the huge door with a little difficulty.  
"After you", she smiled to the mice.  
Vinnie gave Throttle a _'this ain't over yet'_ look before he walked inside the building, telling Throttle he still wanted to know more about the incident on the platform. Modo clapped the tan-furred mouse on the back as he gave him a sympathetic look and followed the young mouse inside.  
When Throttle walked past Charley, he gave her a small nod in gratitude.  
Not because she held the door open for him, but because she'd saved him from a very curious and intrusive white-furred mouse.  
Without her knowing, of course.  
It was still a nice save, though.

Once they were all inside, Charley closed the door and turned on the light.  
The huge lamps flickered a few times before they enlightened the room they were in.  
The first thing that Throttle noticed was the cold. There was a clear difference in temperature between outside and here, inside the building.  
Not that it bothered him.  
They were standing in an open space with a high ceiling, surrounded by weird objects from which Throttle thought were some kind of machines.  
As he looked further across the room, he saw two doors.  
By the looks of things, one door led to the separate space that was on the first floor.  
It had a huge window, as if the room was made for the people up there to keep a close watch on what happened in the giant open space where they were now standing in.  
"I hope you don't mind me asking, Charley ma'am, but what is this place?", Modo asked, still looking around him with awe.  
His heavy voice echoed against the walls before it slowly faded away.  
Charley, who was already on her way towards the doors, stopped and turned around.  
"Sorry, I just keep forgetting you guys are from another planet. This is the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Factory", she answered as she gestured around her, smiling a bit sheepishly.  
"I guess we're kinda lucky to have it in our hands... Food has never been a problem… yet."  
"Factory?", Modo repeated, letting the new word roll over his tongue.  
"Yeah, it's a place where things are made. In this case, food."  
"You make your own food?", Throttle asked surprisedly as Charley already continued her way towards the doors and the mice quickly followed her.  
"Oh, no. We...", the human female started, but before she could continue, Vinnie slid past her and opened the right door, curious as he was.  
"Wow! Is this the Earthly version of heaven?"  
Throttle already opened his mouth to tell his younger bro that he needed to behave, they weren't home after all, but when he saw what Vinnie saw, he suddenly forgot the words.  
"Wow…"  
"Oh, momma…"

The room was about twice the size of the one they were now standing in.  
His bionic eyes wandered over the shelves full with boxes filled with hot dogs, water and other stuff he didn't recognize but had to be food too.  
The temperature was even lower here and despite his fur, a shiver ran down his spine.  
"So, as I was saying… no, we don't make our own food. We're just very lucky that the factory had a well-stocked freezer when the Samaki came", Charley explained. "Do I need to move it, now you guys know where it is?", she added and Throttle gave her a surprised look.  
Was she… _teasing_ them?  
Who knew she had in her.  
He then looked at Vinnie.  
"Do we, Vincent?"  
The white-furred mouse gave his friend and leader a glare over his shoulder before heaving a sigh.  
"Funny… Wooooaawww! Guys, look!", he then suddenly exclaimed.  
His two bro's looked down on him a bit startled by this sudden act of loudness.  
The young white-furred mouse held a finger in the air to make sure he had their attention and then heaved a sigh again.  
Throttle's eyes grew big when he saw what his young bro was so excited about all of a sudden.  
"What the... ", he heard Modo mumble next to him, telling the tan-furred mouse Modo saw it too now.  
How was this even possible?

"There's… There's smoke coming out of your mouth, how…", Throttle started, but he soon trailed off again when he saw the same thing was happening with him.  
His tongue slid through his mouth, along his teeth, searching for anything that could explain this weird phenomenon.  
But it didn't feel different than usual.  
He looked at Modo, who looked back at him with his one eye wide open, shock was written on his face and his mouth tightly clenched, as if he was scared to open it.  
Then, his gaze landed on Vinnie, who was now almost panting like a Memphant.  
Knowing him, he was probably trying to fill the whole room with the weird smoke.  
It seemed a nonstarter for the smoke already vanished shortly after leaving the mouth, but that wasn't gonna stop the young mouse from trying.  
A muffled sound, one that wasn't familiar to him, broke Throttle out of his trance and he now looked at his left.  
Charley was leaning against the door, her mouth covered with one hand. He narrowed his eyes behind his glasses, not sure why she was doing that.  
Was the air in this giant cold room toxic or something?  
If so, why didn't she warn them?  
After a short hesitation, he looked into her eyes for the first time after that weird happening on the platform.  
Her twinkling eyes.  
The small frown between her eyes was gone too.  
He was about to ask if she was okay when she suddenly burst into laughter.  
_Oh...  
_The sound of her laugh was the most beautiful thing Throttle had ever heard and he quickly lowered his gaze.  
He still didn't entirely trust himself.

The other two mice turned their head to look at her, the youngest of them being completely out of breath after his so-called -and useless- experiment.  
"Care to share what's so funny, sweetheart?"  
But Charley shook her head, not able to answer that question and she held up her hand to let them know she needed some time to calm down.  
The mice shared another confused look and shrugged before they all looked back at the human female, who now -for it seemed- slowly calmed down again.  
"The look on your faces, oh my god…", she breathed, shaking her head. "It's no smoke, guys, it's your warm breath that evaporates in the cold air. It's harmless", she added when she saw their confused faces.  
"You guys don't know cold on Mars?"  
"We uh… we do, but not… not like this", Modo answered a bit sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.  
He couldn't help himself from feeling a bit stupid, but then again, there never came smoke out of their mouth back on Mars.  
Earth was so much different than Mars.  
Was it really stupid to be surprised by the unknown?  
A delayed tear rolled down her cheek and Charley wiped it away as she signed to the mice to step back, still smiling.  
"Let me close the door, I'm freezing."  
"Need me to warm you up, doll?", Vinnie immediately grabbed this opportunity, wiggling his eyebrows.  
"No, thanks. I'm not sure if you're able to, if ya know what I mean", she retorted with a wink and both Throttle and Modo laughed when they saw the sour look on Vinnie's face.  
"Guess she told you, loverboy", Throttle chuckled, feeling very relieved that she rejected this… _cheesy_ suggestion of his youngest bro.  
He was also very relieved that he was able to look at Charley without going completely loco again.  
For now, at least.  
The confusion was still there, though.  
He still had no idea what had happened back on that platform, but there were more important matters that required his attention right now.  
A very… _fishy_ matter.  
Charley seemed to guess his thoughts for she pointed at the other door.  
"Come on. Up, up, up we go."

"Hey, guys… ", Vinnie whispered when they followed her up the stairs, the young mouse with a little bit more effort because of his leg.  
"What _exactly_ is a freezer?"  
"I've got no idea", Modo responded softly.  
"It's probably some mechanism to keep the food healthy…I dunno", Throttle mumbled in turn.  
"Earth is weird", the youngest of them concluded.  
"You said it."

The room with the big window was actually quite cozy, a big contrast with the cold and basic workspace of the factory.  
There was a desk in the right corner and two comfortable looking couches closeby the window.  
The walls were decorated with photos of the factory, probably from when it was still running.  
If he didn't have to worry about Plutarkians right now, Throttle would've loved to watch them to learn a bit more about this strange planet.  
But, unfortunately, there _were_ Plutarkians outside this camp and it was time to get some answers. And this time for real.  
Charley dropped down on one of the couches and Throttle quickly sat down on the other one, hereby avoiding he would end up sitting next to her.  
Man.  
This was like his teenage years all over again.  
But there was just no reason to stir the pot and so he didn't.  
Modo took place next to Charley, forcing Vinnie to sit down next to Throttle.  
That yielded him a glare from the white-furred mouse, which he ignored.  
Throttle had mixed feelings about all this.  
Somewhere, he was grateful for this action but it also gave him the nagging feeling that Modo was more than aware of what was going on with him.  
Well, at least that it had something to do with Charley.  
_Man._

"So, didn't you tell us this morning you had it all under control?", Vinnie asked as he leaned forward and thereby opened the conversation before Throttle could.  
"From what I saw out there, you didn't. Far from it."  
It was a fair point.  
A little on the nose, maybe, but still...  
A fair point.  
"Didn't I ask you to hand over your weapons?", Charley retorted, probably referring to the small handgun in Vinnie's ankle holster.  
"_All_ of your weapons?"  
Also, a fair point.  
"Touche", the white-furred mouse only smiled.  
He wasn't gonna tell her that it wasn't him who kept it from her, but Throttle.  
A mouse didn't snitch on his brothers.  
Charley studied Vinnie's face, waiting for an explanation, but the young mouse only winked at her.  
After heaving a sigh, she did answer his question.  
"Usually, we do. Have it under control. Otherwise, we would've been long gone already. However, they came with greater numbers than usual, and they've never been this close to the fence. Therefore, my people panicked. I know it's far from professional, but that's the thing. Most of us aren't professionals. Most of us are just fighting for what they love…"  
She was now staring at a spot on the floor and the pain in her voice made them all three feel a bit uncomfortable.  
Then, she looked up, her green eyes burning in gratitude.  
"I wanna thank you guys, from the bottom of my heart, for stepping up like that. There was no reason to do so since this isn't your fight, but you still did. So, on behalf of my people: thank you."

A chuckle escaped Throttle's lips, he just couldn't help it.  
Not because it was funny what she said, on the contrary, but the irony was hard to ignore.  
"You'll be surprised about how your fight is ours too, babe. Seems we've got a common enemy."  
Charley's eyes grew big when she heard that and she sat up straight.  
"What do you mean, a common enemy? You… You know them?", she asked, for the first time since they met being really surprised.  
"Oh, yeah, we know them, alright…", Modo sighed as he looked at his bionic arm with regret written on his face.  
"We hate them from their scummy line to their moldy core", Vinnie grumbled.  
It was only this morning that Throttle had wondered what could impress this serene woman, but she was now.  
Impressed.  
Deeply.  
"But… how?", she eventually asked.  
Throttle shared a quick look with his bro's before leaning back to make himself comfortable.  
He noticed he finally had himself back under control and it felt liberating.  
As if he was able to breathe again after being almost choked to death.  
Kind of like when the Sand Raiders almost killed him, that day.  
That _horrible_ day.  
"You call them Samaki, but that's not their real name. They're coming from the planet Plutark and therefore, they carry the name Plutarkian. Since they wasted all of their own resources, they go around stripmining the cosmos. It's the most cruel and deathly species we've ever encountered", Throttle explained.

Of course, he _could_ suggest to show it to her, but that meant he needed to come close to her. Expose himself to her.  
Given his earlier reaction, coming close to her was more than just a bad idea, much less to take her on a Mind Walk.  
The thought alone tied his stomach in a knot.  
"Plutark? Never heard of that one before…", Charley broke him out of his thoughts.  
"So, they destroyed your planet?"  
"Nah, they bought it", Modo answered that question.  
"Our own government sold us out, not knowing they thereby signed their own death sentence."  
"The stinkfaces tore the place apart and dug up the land to ship it back to Plutark", Vinnie added, having one of his rare serious moments.  
"So, yeah, _eventually_ they destroyed it", Throttle nodded.  
"The mice population fought back, though. Hard. As soon as the government realized what they had done, they used the army to take back what belonged to them. To us. But most of us got wiped out."  
"So, that's why you know how to fight? Because you're army?"  
Vinnie's head jerked up.  
"Hell no, I ain't no army!"

Charley gave him a puzzled look after hearing the defensive tone in his voice and Throttle laid a hand on the white-furred mouse his shoulder.  
"Vincent here is right, we're not army. We're Freedom Fighters. Members of a rebellion resistance, since the army couldn't handle it. They're obligated to protocols and you don't kill a Plutarkian with protocols. You fight fire with fire, but the army couldn't. And that's where the Freedom Fighters came in."  
"We are so much better than the army, hell, they only lasted for like two years or so", Vinnie pointed out.  
"One and a half, to be exact", Modo corrected him.  
"_Whatever_. The point is that the Freedom Fighters stood tall till the end."  
"The end?", Charley asked.  
Throttle heaved a sigh.  
"Yeah, a few days ago they managed to take over. There was nothing we could do, not anymore… We were outnumbered…"  
"And you managed to escape?"  
"Yeah, along with a few buddies of ours. But the Plutarkians followed us and blew us out of the sky. And here we are", Modo told her.  
"And your… buddies?"  
"We lost them. We have no idea what happened to them", Throttle said softly.  
Charley swallowed with difficulty.  
"And Mars is lost?"  
"Yeah… Mars is lost…"  
"Ugh, the things I would do to just go back and drop a bomb on all of them", Vinnie growled as he punched his fist in his other hand.  
"Maybe we will, someday... ", Throttle mumbled.  
"Oh, momma, I still can't _believe_ that we've crashed on a planet that is being invaded with Plutarkians too…", Modo sighed, shaking his big head.  
Vinnie nodded.  
"I know right… but hey, look at the bright side."  
"What bright side?"  
"There's nothing wrong with my hearing! Ha! I told ya. I was right and you, my friend, were wrong."  
Modo slowly looked up, his eye flickered a few times before it started to glow red.  
"You really think I care about that right now? You really think it matters? Did you forget what happened that last day on Mars?", he asked slowly, his voice even lower than usual.  
"Of course I haven't forgotten. I'm just trying to see the good things in life, bro", Vinnie answered nonchalantly, not impressed by the suppressed anger that was clearly hearable in his older bro his voice.  
Modo blinked a few times before his eye turned back to its normal color.  
It was generally known that the young white-furred mouse had some strange coping mechanisms.  
But it was Vinnie's way of dealing with the pain and horror that came with war and Modo had to respect that.  
It wasn't always ego that spoke, after all.  
Sometimes it was just the young boy who desperately clung to the good things in life to prevent himself from drowning into darkness.  
And so, Modo gave Vinnie a nod.  
"I know, little bro, I know."

Now the threat of a Martian fight had passed again, Throttle looked at Charley, who was still looking at Vinnie and Modo.  
"I need to ask you, Charley. What happened here?", he asked softly.  
She now looked at him and the pain in her eyes cut through his soul quite unexpectedly.  
He knew that look.  
He saw it when he looked into the mirror on a bad day.  
Despair.  
The result of living a life one didn't choose to live.  
It was all too familiar.  
Unfortunately.

Charley cleared her throat as she leaned back and pulled her legs up.  
"It all happened six years ago… Perhaps they bought Mars, but they _invaded_ Earth. Without any warning… NASA didn't even spot them, they were just there, out of the blue, in large numbers. We didn't even get the chance to talk to them, to try to make a deal or whatever, no... They came, they saw and they conquered... "  
She was talking as if they weren't there, Throttle noticed.  
He remembered her saying that she didn't like to talk about this.  
He couldn't blame her.  
War was traumatizing.  
"They destroyed Chicago within a week, killing everyone they encountered. When they were done, most of them left again. The others stayed behind… After hearing your story, I think they stayed to pick up the pieces. Up until now, I never knew what their motivation was, I thought they were just cruel, you know. That they enjoyed destroying a planet. There were even times that I caught myself thinking that we called this upon ourselves, I mean, we weren't exactly good for our planet. We were slowly destroying it, they just sped up the process."  
"Chicago is the name of the city we're in now?", Modo asked.  
"Yeah… at least, what's left of it. It used to be a beautiful and lively city, now it's like living in a zombie apocalypse, without the zombies, that is. Instead, we have alien fish. Not sure what's worse, though."  
"Zombies? What are zombies?", Vinnie asked confused.  
Charley smiled.  
"The undead. People who come back to life."  
"Huh? How can a dead person be… undead?", the white-furred mouse mused a bit sheepishly.  
"They can't. It's fiction. It's not real."  
"But…"

"What about you? You managed to survive their invasion, obviously. How?", Throttle cut Vinnie off, curious about her personal story and not about living undead people or whatever.  
"My father… my father was one of those guys who liked to be prepared. He insisted to build an underground bomb shelter beneath my home, and so he did. When he was done building it, he provided the shelter with enough food for at least a year."  
"Did he see this coming? Is that why he built the place?", Modo asked.  
Charley smiled, although it was a sad smile.  
"_No one_ saw this coming. He built the place in case of a natural disaster, which was a realistic threat as a result of climate change. We always joked about alien invasions, never had I thought that the one time I needed to use the bomb shelter, it was because of a goddamn alien invasion. Something with irony. Anyway, as soon as the first bombs fell, I locked myself up in there."  
"And your father?"  
"He died before all of this happened. He got sick. That was the one thing he wasn't prepared for. He died within a month… But I'm glad now. Because this-", and she gestured around her. "At least he is spared the horrors of all this."  
Modo nodded to that ruling, completely understanding where she was coming from. It was the same thought he'd right before the Army of Death attacked them, but then about his beloved mother.  
"So, I survived the invasion because of good preparation of my father. At the time, I thought that he'd gone mad, because what are the odds, right? Even though a natural disaster was a realistic threat, I always thought that this kind of things would never happen to me._ God_, I was so naive… But my father was a stubborn man and I'll be forever grateful that he was, because it saved my life…"  
She stared at the floor again, clearly sucked back in time for a moment.  
"It sounds like he was a good man", Modo said softly.  
The pain of losing someone you love dearly was, unfortunately, all too familiar to him.  
Charley looked up at him and gave him a grateful smile.  
"He was... Anyway, when things calmed down a bit, I went out to see the damage. And I guess someone's looking out for me, because my home was still standing, along with a few buildings in the surrounding area. The second week after the invasion I found more survivors, but they weren't so lucky. They'd lost about everything they once owned. It broke my heart and I took them in. But they kept on coming and soon, my home became too small. It was then when I decided to build a home for anyone who needed it. And that's how Camp Hope is born. Long story short: we built a fence around the area that was still standing, including my home and the hotdog factory, and slowly but steady, it became our new home. And here we are."  
"Really impressive, babe", Vinnie complimented her without a subtext this time.  
That's because he really meant it, from the bottom of his heart.  
She not only survived, she _thrived_.  
He could only respect that.  
"What about Max?", he then asked, the tip of his tail twitching.  
Charley gave him a confused look.  
"What about him?"  
"What's his role in this story?"  
"Why do you wanna know?"  
"Why don't you just tell me?"

Throttle looked the other way to hide his smile.  
He knew all too well how annoying it was to be the target of Vinnie's almost insatiable curiosity.  
He would've helped her if he wasn't so curious himself.  
Charley let out her breath.  
"We met shortly after the invasion. The US army tried to evacuate survivors, and Max was part of one of the teams. He…"  
"Hold up. Max is _army_?", Vinnie interrupted her surprisedly.  
"Yeah. So?"  
Vinnie looked at Throttle, who softly shook his head to tell him that there was no need to tell Charley about their… _suspicions.  
_Not yet.  
Not now it was still nothing more but a hunch.  
The young mouse looked back at Charley and shrugged.  
"Just a question to make sure I've heard it right, sweetheart. Go on."  
The human female gave Vinnie a suspicious look -who gave her his most charming smile back- and for a moment, Throttle thought she wasn't going to continue.  
She clearly felt that there was more to it.  
But to his surprise -and relief-, she did.

"Okay… Anyway, he tried to take me with him, but I wanted to stay. Chicago is my home, invaded or not. For some reason, he refused to leave me behind, and so his team left without him. Shortly thereafter we heard from another survivor that their helicopter got shot out of the air. He also told us that there was no place to go, not anymore, that the whole country was ground zero. Perhaps even the whole planet, who knows? Either way, Max stayed and helped me built up Camp Hope from scratch. His military training came in handy for he was able to protect us against the fish who tried to stop us from building the camp. He found guns. He learned the people how to use them. He led missions to search for stuff we could use. He's head security now and he's doing a good job. We can live in relative peace here, thanks to him. I owe him a lot. We all do."  
Throttle leaned forward and studied her face.  
Her words were full of praise but her eyes told quite another story.  
Actually, her eyes told nothing.  
Again, her eyes were empty.  
"What is he to you?", the tan-furred mouse blurted out, he just couldn't stop himself.  
Her face darkened and she folded her arms.  
"That's none of your business", she answered with a cold voice.  
Throttle narrowed his eyes behind his glasses by seeing this sudden change in behavior.  
There was clearly more to tell about Max, but she didn't want to share it with them.  
Which was her good right.  
_Unfortunately.  
_But all in good time.  
So, he asked another question.  
"Why did you decide to help us? After hearing your story, you have reason enough to not trust aliens and yet, you took us with you. Why?"  
Instead of answering this question, Charley rose to her feet.  
"Come on. I'll show you."

She led them to a small building close to the factory.  
"This is where I lived before all this, and… worked", she explained as she pointed up.  
The mice followed her finger.  
"Last Chance Garage", Vinnie read out loud before his jaw dropped.  
"You're a mechanic?"  
"Best in Chi-town, if I may say so", Charley answered with pride but then her face darkened again.  
"Probably the last one too."  
Vinnie now stared at her with admiration visible in his ruby-red eyes, almost drooling.  
Throttle knew his bro well enough to know that the human female was now upgraded from _'slightly interesting'_ to _'target'_ on Vinnie's list.  
He couldn't actually blame him, because she wasn't just _a_ woman.  
She was a mechanic.  
She had brains, next to beauty.  
If only he wouldn't stare at her like that...  
Before Throttle could even process it, his hand already lashed out and he smacked Vinnie on the back of his head.  
The young mouse spun around, his eyes burning with outrage.  
"Hey! Where the hell was that for?!"  
Charley turned around too, so did Modo and Throttle already regretted this move, for he thereby became the center of the attention all of a sudden.  
Yeah, well.  
It wasn't like he'd thought this through, now did he?  
Hell no.  
It was an ill-considered and stupid move.  
Kinda like Vinnie would do.  
But not him.  
Certainly not him.  
But he did and now he needed to salvage what's left of his dignity.  
"No one ever taught you that staring isn't polite?", he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.  
He failed, though, and Vinnie narrowed his eyes.  
"Now you're starting to sound like Modo. What the hell is wrong with ya, bro? You're acting downright weird. First…", but before he could start about the platform incident in front of Charley, Modo came to the rescue.  
"Maybe he sounds like me, but he's right, bro. You _never_ stare at a lady, that just ain't right", the grey-furred giant cut the young mouse off.  
Vinnie's face darkened and looked at Charley again, who was watching them with confusion.  
"Don't listen to them, babe, I wasn't like… _creepy_ staring at ya, I was just impressed when you told you're a mechanic, that's all", he quickly reassured her.  
It was probably to save his own skin, because the blush that was visible under his white fur made clear that his ego was bruised.  
Throttle felt a pang of guilt when he realized that they'd hurt the white-furred mouse his feelings.  
The last thing he wanted was to humiliate his younger bro.  
Well, not like this, that is.  
There's a difference between friendly teasing and embarrassing someone.  
But it just happened.  
That didn't make it fair, though.  
And on top of it all, Modo gave him this look to tell him that he didn't mind to stand up for him, but that he at least wanted to know _why_ he was antagonizing Vinnie.  
Which was his good right.  
What a mess this was.

Charley studied Vinnie's face before she apparently decided to just ignore this weird and slight awkward happening.  
She took a small device out of her pocket and pushed the small yellow button that was on it.  
One of the big doors slowly opened, revealing a modest but all equipped workspace with one lift.  
Throttle, who was more than grateful for the distraction, felt how relief rushed through his veins.  
There was a garage here.  
There was equipment.  
That meant they were able to fix the bikes.  
Finally, luck was on their side for once.  
Charley leaned against the doorway.  
"It was seeing your bikes which made me decide to help you. I'm not sure why, maybe because all the bikers I met were honest and sincere men. I took care of their bikes and they took care of me. Almost like a family… I dunno, it sounds weird, I know. I don't know how to explain it..."  
"Biker code, you mean", Modo pointed out.  
She looked up at him, a bit surprised.  
"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. You have that too, on Mars?"  
Modo nodded.  
"If you mean the unwritten rule that bikers help each other in need, then yeah, we have that too."  
Charley looked at Throttle now.  
"I can help fix the bikes if you want?"  
The tone of her voice was a bit too eager and Throttle smiled, knowing her hands were more than itchy to examine their bikes.  
He looked at his bro's.  
"What do you think, boys? Is she allowed to touch our bikes? I'm in favor."  
Vinnie glared at the tan-furred mouse, clearly, he was still angry at him for hitting him and what followed, before studying Charley for a moment.  
He then nodded.  
"Yeah, me too. I trust her."  
Modo seemed to be a bit more reserved, but that didn't surprise Throttle.  
They all three adored their bikes, but the grey-furred giant took the cake.  
"Take some time to think about it, big fella. She can look at our bikes first."  
Modo nodded and then looked back at Charley.  
"Sorry, Charley ma'am, it's not that I don't trust ya, it's just…"  
"His bike is like his kid. Don't sweat it, babe, it took him like six years before he allowed me to come even near her", Vinnie told her.  
"Yeah, but that's because you're the master of disaster. I'm sure Charley will be a bit more restraint", Throttle pointed out without thinking.  
"Geez, thanks, bro. You're really on a roll today, aren't ya?", the white-furred mouse responded as he folded his arms.  
Throttle gave himself a mental slap in the face for saying that.  
He didn't mean anything by it, he was just telling it the way it was, but the timing was bad, he now knew.  
"You're right, I'm sorry, bro."  
Vinnie snorted, his whole appearance radiated annoyance, but he said nothing.  
Throttle heaved a sigh.  
He really needed to figure out this… _thing_ that was happening to him, rather sooner than later.  
Their bond was unbreakable, yes, but even though it couldn't break, that didn't mean it was completely inviolable.  
Vinnie was right, he was acting weird.  
And it wasn't fair for both of his bro's to be the victim of this weird behavior.

Charley, again oblivious to the tension between the two others, patted Modo on the arm.  
"It's okay, Modo. Only if it feels right, and only then. I know the bond between a bike and its rider. I have a bike myself, and not even Max is allowed to ride it."  
"You have a bike? Can I see it?", Vinnie immediately asked, already distracted again, but Charley shook her head.  
"Not now. Later. First, I wanna ask you guys something..."  
Throttle spread his arms, already knowing what was coming.  
Yet, he invited her to say it herself.  
"Shoot."  
She took a deep breath and looked him, despite his glasses, straight in the eye.  
"Are you guys willing to join us in our fight against the Plutarkians?"

* * *

Oh boy, Throttle isn't exactly himself right now, and it immediately affects the other two, since they have no idea what is going on with their usual calm leader.  
At least they've got some answers now.  
With probably more to come.  
And what about Max?  
But first, will they join Charley into her fight?  
We'll see.  
Well, you guys will see, I already know what's going to happen XD

Hope you guys liked this chapter.  
Feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated.  
And till next time, my loyal readers!

Later!


	10. Chapter 10

Hey there, my loyal readers.

Thank you so much for the reviews, keeps me motivated!  
I feel very humbled by your kind words.

Anyway, next chapter!  
Enjoy! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"You don't have to answer right now, I know it's a lot to ask", Charley quickly added to her question.  
"It's just… we can use experienced fighters like you, so I figured I might as well ask, but please, don't feel obligated. Take the time you need to think about it."  
She was right, though.  
It was a lot to ask.  
Especially after what they had been through.  
Throttle looked at his bro's.  
Vinnie avoided his gaze, clearly still upset.  
That wasn't really a surprise.  
The white-furred mouse didn't easily forget and he never forgave.  
Well, he was willing to make an exception for his bro's, most of the time.  
But Throttle knew he'd some serious apologizing to do before his young bro would even _think_ about forgiveness.  
But other than that, the young mouse would probably have no problem with joining the human's side in their fight against the Plutarkians.  
War was all he knew, after all.  
And he wasn't exactly shy about the fact that he enjoyed the action that came with it, most of the time.  
Modo, however…  
Modo was a different story.  
The grey-furred giant was staring at the ground, by the looks of things deep in thought.  
The anguished expression on his face told Throttle just what he thought. His bro was obviously having a hard time with being here, most of all, to already stand with one foot in the next war without having the chance to process the things that happened during the last one. War was no place to be for the ones who cared as much as he did.  
But then again, Modo was a mouse who placed great value upon doing the right thing, no matter what that'll do to him.  
Unlike Vinnie, he was able to put himself in second place if that's what it took.  
Still...  
Throttle didn't just wanna skip to the part where he would say yes or no to Charley's question.  
He needed to talk to his bro's first.  
In private.  
This decision needed to be unanimous(e), for this was about their future.  
Their uncertain future.  
They needed to think this one through.  
Were they gonna choose peace or war?  
_Life or death?  
_The tan-furred mouse heaved a sigh and looked back at Charley.  
"Let us get our heads together first. We'll let you know what we decide as soon as we know."  
"Sure thing. Take all the time you need", the human female nodded.  
"We'll do."

Throttle suddenly discovered that Vinnie wasn't standing next to him anymore and he quickly looked over his shoulder, only to spot his young bro snooping around in the garage.  
"Honestly, sometimes it feels like I'm babysitting a toddler", Throttle muttered before raising his voice.  
"Vinnie! You can't just walk into someone's home and workplace. I'm sorry, his middle name is curious George", he then added towards Charley, giving her an apologetic look.  
She was about to answer him when Vinnie suddenly pulled a door open.  
"Hey! What's this?"  
Throttle squeezed the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.  
This day was getting more exhausting by the minute.  
When he opened his eyes again, he saw Charley walking towards the white-furred mouse, who was still standing in the doorway.  
At least he had the morality to wait until the human female joined him, Throttle had to give him that.  
"That's the bomb shelter I told you guys about", she informed and slid past Vinnie, who's lips curled into a small but smugly smile when her body rubbed against his, even if it was for only a short matter of time.  
Luckily for him, Throttle didn't see it.  
Modo did, but he decided to ignore it for now.  
As his beloved grey-furred momma used to say:  
_'There is a time for talk and there is a time for action.'  
_It was clear now wasn't the time for both.  
Charley turned around, now standing backward on the stairs that led down.  
"You guys wanna see it?"  
"Hell yeah. Lead the way, sweetheart", Vinnie answered enthusiastic, almost bouncing on one foot.  
"Only if it's okay with you, Charley ma'am", Modo added, not wanting to force her on a trip down on memory lane.  
"What he says, babe", Throttle agreed with Modo.

But apparently, Charley had no trouble with taking this trip.  
"Of course it's okay. It's been a while since I've been down there, though, so it's probably a bit dusty", she warned them before turning around to walk down the stairs.  
The mice followed her, nearly fitting through the small hallway.  
Especially Modo was having a hard time to prevent himself from getting stuck and he let out a soft noise in annoyance when his antenna brushed up against the ceiling.  
The antennas of a Martian Cave Mouse were home of many, _many_ nerve ends and therefore extremely sensitive.  
Luckily, the stair wasn't long and soon, Charley stopped in front of a heavy-looking door.  
With a little effort, she managed to open it by herself.  
The longer he was in her company, the more it became clear to Throttle that she didn't like to feel depended on others.  
A thing he could only admire.  
This kind of life must be hard for a woman, but she held her own and that fact alone was enough for him to know that she was strong.  
And not just _physically_ strong.  
Once inside, she switched on a light and the three mice looked inside the small room.  
It was simple yet sufficient, with a bed in the corner, a few lockers standing next to it and a hole in the ground from which Throttle assumed was the lavatory.  
The walls were made of some sort of steel, so was the floor.  
"You spend a whole week down here?", Modo asked a bit astonished.  
"Yup."  
The grey-furred giant shivered as an answer.  
He didn't like small spaces for many reasons and this was definitely and without a doubt a small space.  
He could hardly stand upright and the stale air didn't help either.  
His respect for Charley grew, because he wasn't sure if he would be able to survive living down here for an entire week.  
He didn't say it out loud, though.  
There was such a thing as self-preservation.  
And even though his ego was ten times smaller than Vinnie's, he did have some manly pride, just enough to stop himself from explaining why he'd shivered just now.

Vinnie was the first to do a few steps forward, but he stopped when he suddenly felt something sticky in his face.  
"Ugh, what the hell is that?", he asked slightly disgusted as he rubbed his face with both hands.  
He then looked at his hands and noticed some thin and sticky threads between his fingers.  
Charley turned around to look and then smiled.  
"That's a spider web."  
She made it sound as if she was stating the obvious, but for the mice, and especially for Vinnie, it was everything but obvious.  
"Okay... And what's a spider?"  
The human female lifted her hand and pointed at his left arm.  
"That is."  
Vinnie followed her finger and when he saw where she pointed at, he nearly hit the ceiling.  
"_Yiiaaaaooow!_ Get it off me, getitoffmegetitffome!", he cried, doing some sort of crazy dance as he used both his hands and tail to get rid of the weird and scary creature on his perfect body.  
The spider flew through the air and landed on the ground, close to Vinnie's feet.  
"Is it gone? Tell me, _IS IT GONE_?!", he demanded with a raw voice when he didn't see it anymore, his fur puffed up like a Martian Puffy Puf Fish.  
Modo only pointed at the small animal close to his young bro's feet, which was a bad move, he found out shortly thereafter.  
Because Vinnie's adrenaline level had skyrocketed by seeing the for him unknown creature and when that happened, he tended to do stupid things.  
Like grabbing his gun and opening fire at an innocent spider in a bomb shelter, for example.

"Wow, Vincent, don't!", Throttle tried to stop him the moment he saw what his young bro was up to, but Vinnie was already shooting at the spider with his teeth clenched, determined to blow this thing to the seventh galaxy.  
But, as mentioned before, this was a bomb shelter.  
The walls and floor were made to hold back heavy artillery, no matter where it came from.  
Outside… or inside.  
The laser beams that came out of Vinnie's gun bounced off the metallic material and flew through the whole room before they lost their power and vanished.  
Charley quickly dove behind one of the lockers to find cover, while Modo and Throttle both jumped on the white-furred mouse. They all fell on the floor and Modo quickly pried the small handgun out of Vinnie's hand.  
The little spider disappeared under the bed and with the last laser beam slowly fading, peace returned in the small room.  
When the silence that came with it dawned upon them, the two mice on top let out their breath as they shared a meaningful look.  
"I don't like spiders", Vinnie broke the silence, smiling a bit sheepishly because he now realized what he'd done just now.  
"You don't say…", Throttle sighed and he slowly got back on his feet, so did Modo.  
Charley's head popped up from behind the locker, her green eyes wide open.  
"Okay, note to myself; _never_ tell an armed alien soldier that he's got a spider on him. Things can get ugly, apparently."  
She came out of her hiding spot and looked at Vinnie.  
"I guess it's too late to tell you that most of the spiders are completely harmless, huh?", she asked with a hint of a smile on her face.  
Vinnie's cheeks turned red under his fur, knowing that freaking out like that didn't match with his cool- and greatness, at all.  
The fact that it happened in front of a lady made it even more embarrassing.  
But then again, did she see that spider?  
_Holy shit_.  
Who wouldn't freak out?!  
Besides, it was a little bit too late now to pretend that the little animal did nothing to him.  
Even he knew that.

"I still don't like them. They are creepy as hell", he answered stubbornly as he sat upright.  
Modo and Throttle shared an amused look before the grey-furred giant looked down on his little bro.  
"The little fella was like, I dunno, one inch tall, Vin..."  
Vinnie looked up at him, his ruby-red eyes almost burning a hole in his skull.  
"_So?! _He was still creepy! What would you have done when you see a hideous freak like that sitting on you, huh? _Shit_, how many legs does that monstrosity have anyway?"  
"Eight", Charley answered, trying to keep her face in check.  
"See? Eight legs, man! How is that _not_ scary?"  
Throttle shook his head as he offered his young bro a hand.  
Every time when he thought things couldn't get any crazier, then there was Vinnie van Wham.  
Always ready to prove that nothing was too crazy for him.  
He'd really outdone himself this time, though.  
"You're one heck of a mouse, Vinnie."  
"Well, _duh_. What took ya so long to notice?", the white-furred mouse responded and after a small hesitation, he decided to take Throttle's hand.  
That was a good sign, the tan-furred mouse concluded.  
Perhaps he wasn't that angry after all.  
Then again, with Vinnie, nothing was certain.  
When the white-furred mouse was back on his feet, he rested his weight on the left one as a hint of pain flickered across his face.  
Modo saw it.  
"Your leg didn't appreciate that little groovy dance of yours?"  
Vinnie spun around on one leg.  
"Dance? Dance?! _Dude_, you'll never see this mouse dance, I'm way too cool for that. And my leg is fine."  
"You think you can walk?", Throttle intervened, thinking that his young bro's ego had suffered enough for one day.  
Vinnie rolled his eyes and limped back to the stairs.  
"Ugh, I'm _fine_."  
"It was a nice dance, though", Modo uttered softly to no one in specific as he followed Vinnie to the stairs.  
"I heard that!"

Once they were all back in the workspace of the garage, Charley closed the door behind her and looked at her watch.  
"It's getting late. You guys hungry?"  
Three stomachs roared in answer and she smiled.  
"Look, you guys are free to stay to fix the bikes, but we have common dinner in about five minutes. You're welcome to join me, so you can meet the rest of the people."  
"The bikes can wait", Vinnie instantly answered, already close to drooling by only thinking about these wonderful hotdogs.  
Modo and Throttle shared a look, a bit less eager than their younger bro. Charley saw their hesitation and reached in her pocket.  
"Here", and she offered Throttle the small device to open the garage.  
"I've got some other work to do after dinner, with this you can start whenever you like and take all the time you need."  
Throttle slowly took it and when he did, his fingers accidentally brushed against hers.  
From the moment he felt her creamy skin under his fingers, his heart skipped a beat and he suddenly felt pins and needles all over his body, it even made his fur bristle.  
He quickly put the device in his pocket.  
"Thanks. Really appreciate it", he mumbled as he focussed his attention on her nose again, already rattled again by this intense physical response.  
Man.  
He yearned for a moment alone, so he could think about what the hell was going on here.  
But at the same time, he didn't want to leave her side, the thought alone gave him a heavy feeling in his stomach.  
"Guys, we're not gonna skip dinner, right? I'm starving", Vinnie broke him out of his thoughts and the tan-furred mouse looked up.  
"I've gotta admit, bro, I can use some chow too", Modo hesitantly agreed with his young bro.  
"I never said I didn't", Throttle smiled, although it felt a bit… fake.  
"But after dinner, we're gonna fix the bikes and that's final."  
"Sure thing, bro", Vinnie said bored as he already made his way outside, as if the food was calling to him.  
In his head, it probably was.  
It was no secret that the youthful mouse liked eating as much as he liked a good fight.  
Charley followed him with her eyes and rested her hand on one hip.  
"It's the other way", she pointed out dryly.  
Vinnie froze and turned around.  
"Right. I knew that", he smiled sheepishly as he so-called casually limped the other way.  
"You did, huh?", the human female snorted, shaking her head with a smile.  
"I totally did."  
"Right. Come on, follow me."

As Charley led them through the camp, Throttle was looking around him with awe.  
The camp was clean and by the looks of things, well-maintained.  
At his right, he saw the green areas with the tents again and he remembered their confusion.  
"Say, Charley? Why is everything green at this side of the camp?"  
Charley followed his gaze.  
"Oh, because that used to be a park. As I told you, my house and the surrounding area was still intact, that included this part of the park. It's a good surface for the tents, so it's now called Sleepy Park. I know, I know, not really original, but who cares. It works for us."  
"And the green stuff?", Vinnie asked.  
"The green stuff?", she asked in return, a bit confused and she gazed at her right again.  
Then, she looked back at the mice.  
"You guys don't know grass?"  
There was no judgment in the question.  
Only curiosity.  
Vinnie tilted his head, his ears twitching.  
"Grass? No, never heard of."  
"Oh. You don't have nature on Mars?"  
"Only trees and a few plants", Modo answered that question. "But they ain't green."  
"So grass is a plant?", Throttle finalized hesitantly.  
"Yeah. What kind of plants do you have on Mars?"  
"Oh, only a few flesh-eating ones, nasty little fuckers, you better stay away from them, although they don't like mice on their menu, not sure about humans, though. Then there's another one that spits venom that paralyzes you for the rest of your life… Oh, and one that strangles you to do death, why, no one knows…", Vinnie summed up casually, using his fingers to count.  
Charley stared at him.  
"Sounds like a nice place to be… Mars…", she eventually brought out.  
"It does have its charms", Modo agreed, not hearing the sarcastic subtext in her voice.

Throttle suddenly spotted another one of the big trucks he'd seen the day they met Charley.  
"What about those trucks? As far as I know, those engines make a lot of noise and yet, you managed to sneak up on us on that day. How?"  
"Soon after the invasion, it became clear that it was impossible to get gasoline. So, we converted the engine from gasoline to electrical. We use solar panels to get electricity, since the Plutarkians destroyed everything, including our power grid. Luckily, we have enough sun hours here in Chicago to keep everything running", Charley explained.  
"To answer your question, electrical engines are pretty much silent."  
"They're not! My bike ain't silent, and yet, she runs on solar energy", Vinnie protested, nearly insulted that she even dared to suggest something like that.  
Riding a silent bike was not what he considered fun, next to the fact that it wasn't macho and manly and all.  
An engine needed to roar, end of story.  
"Really? That's real interesting… As soon as I got time, I'm gonna remind you of your promise to let me take a look at your bikes. Perhaps we can learn one another…", Charley mused, not affected by his offensive tone at all.  
She then pointed at a building on their left.  
"Here we are. The Clubhouse."

The mice followed her inside and they were greeted by buzz.  
But that died as soon as the door closed and about a hundred hairless faces were now staring at them, most of them with their eyes wide open.  
Throttle's gaze wandered over the long tables that were each occupied with at least twenty humans.  
And, to his surprise, it weren't only males.  
It was now so quiet in the big hall that the tan-furred mouse could hear every single one of them breathe.  
That and the fact that they all stared at him made him feel slightly uncomfortable.  
Charley must have sensed it, for she heaved a sigh.  
"I'm sorry, it's not that they get to see giant humanoid mice every day. Even though I already told them about you, seeing you is quite another story", she whispered at the mice before she raised her voice.  
"These three mice are our guests for open-ended time. They are aliens, yes, but they are _not_ the same as the Samaki. We can trust them. Some of you have already seen how they helped us this morning to stop the fish from coming through our gate. I expect you all treat them as one of us."  
While she was speaking to the people, Throttle could see how most of them relaxed a bit.  
They all looked at Charley with admiration and respect in their eyes, telling him that she was a valuable leader.  
It made him somehow feel proud.  
That was more than ludicrous for he hardly knew her, but the fact remained it just did.  
"And now, it's time to eat. Enjoy your meal!"  
Loud applause followed.  
"How many people are in this camp?", Throttle asked softly.  
"About a hundred."  
Vinnie whistled between his teeth as his ruby-red eyes wandered over the faces.  
"You did a good job, sweetheart. A very good job."  
"Thanks. That means a lot", she grinned, a small blush on her cheeks.  
Throttle mentally slapped himself in the face for not saying something like that before his young bro got the chance.  
Again, confusion followed.  
It started to feel as if he was in a race with Vinnie to get some appreciation from Charley.  
This was wrong on so many levels.  
Even beyond that.  
What the hell had gotten into him?

"Wooooow…"  
A soft child's voice snapped him back to reality and his gaze landed on a small human child, who was standing in front of Modo.  
The girl stared at him with her head in her neck, her mouth wide open.  
"Can I touch your ears?", she then asked, her blue eyes twinkling.  
Modo immediately went down on his knees with a smile on his face.  
"Sure thing, little citizen."  
The little girl reached out and when she touched the soft fur on his ear, she pulled her hand back, giggling aloud.  
"It tickles. Doesn't it tickle you all day?"  
Modo shook his head.  
"Nah. But when it does, I just tickle back. That works. Wanna try?"  
Still giggling, the little girl reached out again and tickled Modo's fur with the tip of her fingers.  
In return, Modo's ear twitched and the girl now laughed out loud.

Throttle felt his heart warm up by watching this cute sight.  
Modo always had a way with kids.  
The loss of his nephew and niece had almost crushed him, for they meant the world to him.  
It was good to see him this way. The smile on his face was nothing but genuinely, his one eye twinkling with warmth.  
Only kids were able to trigger this warm side of him and Throttle was just happy to see that it wasn't gone after what happened with his nephew and niece.  
Somewhere deep down in his overstimulated brain, he realized that this was gonna change everything.  
This was gonna be Modo's motivation to stay and fight.  
To protect those who needed protection, because they weren't able to fight for themselves.  
Because that's just who he was.  
A mouse who did the right thing, no matter the consequences.  
So, both his bro's now had a reason to stay.  
Vinnie because he was Vinnie.  
Modo because he was Modo.  
And he wondered... what made him Throttle?  
What was gonna be his motivation to stay?  
At this point, he wasn't sure.  
He hardly remembered who he was before setting foot on this strange planet.  
Because all that had followed was confusion and weirdness.

Modo got back on his feet when the girl skipped off, still laughing loudly.  
"I didn't know you had women and children in here, Charley ma'am."  
Charley smiled warmly at him, clearly, the sight of the big badass looking mouse being this kind and gentle with a kid had touched her.  
"We keep them hidden in one place when we're under attack. The fact that I didn't show them earlier to you was because I needed to figure out myself if I was able to trust you guys. Consider you meeting them as a sign that I do."  
She then glanced at Throttle.  
"Trusting you."  
Before he realized it, the tan-furred mouse already looked into her stunning green eyes again.  
She looked back and for a moment, time seemed to stop ticking.  
His whole body warmed up by only looking at her and his heart was making over time.  
What was she doing to him?  
He had never felt like this before.  
Not even with...  
"Can we go eat now?"  
With reluctance, Throttle broke eye contact to look at Vinnie, who avoided his gaze in return.  
So it seemed that the young mouse was still angry with him, after all.  
Life…  
Life on Mars hadn't been easy.  
It seemed that life on Earth wasn't any different.  
Maybe even harder.  
So far for a better future.  
He might as well forget that promise.

They followed Charley to a table in the back, Vinnie waving to everyone they passed.  
Most of them had been part of the group who fought with the mice this morning and apparently, they all wanted to show them their gratitude.  
A thing Vinnie had no problem with.  
"Heyhey, nice welcome reception!"  
Throttle and Modo both rolled their eyes, but when they reached the table Charley was leading them to, even Vinnie's smile vanished like smoke in the wind.  
The reason was the human named Max, who already sat at the table and given his facial expression, he was just as happy to see them as they were him.  
Ben sat next to him and already gestured to the mice to sit down with a big smile on his face.  
"Come, come, sit down!"  
Throttle took place next to him, while Modo and Vinnie sat down across him.  
Too late the tan-furred mouse noticed that Vinnie now sat right across Max, which was a bad idea for many obvious reasons.  
But he couldn't tell him to switch, that would look suspicious, not to mention weird.  
Besides, it was Charley who now sat down across him, so Throttle was suddenly more than pleased about the seating chart.  
Which in return was a clear sign to him that he was distracted from his task as leader.  
A thing he and his bro's couldn't afford, but he wasn't exactly in control of the situation.  
He gave Modo a meaningful look, telling him to keep an eye on that white-furred loudmouth.  
Modo gave him a small nod back, to let his leader know that he got the message.  
Charley and Ben leaned forward and pulled the lits of the scales that were on the table, revealing steaming piles of hotdogs.  
"I'd say: let's eat!"

Vinnie needed not to be told twice and was already stuffing a hotdog in his mouth while looking at the can of drink that was standing next to their plate.  
"Whawts thwis?"  
The human doctor laughed again, clearly not bothered by Vinnie's bad table manners whatsoever.  
"It's a drink we call root beer. You should try it, it's delicious."  
The white-furred mouse struggled with the small lip of the can for a while, but then lost his patience and he just ripped the top off.  
The drink splattered all over the place, and unfortunately for those who sat close to the young mouse, root beer was a sticky substance.  
Throttle and Modo glared at him as they wiped off their face, but Ben was still laughing as he cleaned his glasses with his shirt.  
"You really are something, huh?"  
Vinnie shrugged as he gave Max a look, who was cleaning his face, his brown eyes fuming as he glared at the mouse who was responsible for this unwanted soda shower.  
"You okay, Max? You look a little… _annoyed_", the white-furred mouse asked innocently with a lazy smile on his face.  
The human male clasped the table in an iron grip.  
"I am. Annoyed. Wanna know why?"  
"Oh, do tell, I'm all ears… See?", and Vinnie pointed at his twitching oversized ears, still with that somehow lazy and provoking smile on his face.  
"I just found out that this place is infested with mice. And now I need to catch them", Max continued as he leaned closer to the young mouse, as if he was telling a highly classified secret.  
"Oh really? And what are you gonna do once you've caught them?", Vinnie asked so-called interested as he too leaned forward.  
"Kill them. Painfully. Slowly."  
The white-furred mouse his left ear twitched as he leaned even closer.  
"Is that a threat, _Max_?"  
Max also leaned closer and now, their noses almost touched.  
"Call it what you like, _mouse_."

"_Okaaaaaay_, so, there's something I wanted to ask you… _all_ three of you...", Ben quickly intervened before Throttle could.  
After giving Max one last deathly glare, the white-furred mouse got back upright and looked at Ben.  
So did Throttle and Modo, but not before the tan-furred mouse gave Vinnie a warning look, who in his turn ignored it.  
Great.  
Just great.  
This was exactly why it was a bad idea to have Vinnie sitting across Max.  
Throttle suspected his young bro of provoking the human on purpose.  
Vinnie was known to be a bit rebellious and especially good in undermining authority.  
Usually, he listened to Throttle without too much trouble, but not today.  
His bro and leader had hurt his feelings today, after all.  
In return, he did the one thing that was forbidden by Throttle and that was messing with Max.  
Not the most mature reaction, but no one ever said that he was a fully grown mouse.  
Quite the opposite, actually.  
Throttle could only hope that the young mouse would behave himself for the rest of the diner, but a nagging feeling was telling him he wasn't.  
The tan-furred mouse felt a pang of regret for not staying behind to fix the bikes.  
It would've been better if he'd talked to Vinnie first.  
But a little bit too late for that now.

When Ben saw that he had the attention of all three mice, he continued.  
"Your story about the fast healing made me think. It would be a major advance for us if I could develop a serum that accelerates human healing. But I need your blood for that. So, I was wondering, is it okay if I'd take some blood samples?"  
The mice shared a look, but before one of them could answer, Max already opened his mouth again.  
"I'm sure they're more than willing to help, doc. After all, isn't that what _lab mice _do?"  
Vinnie froze and Throttle closed his eyes for a moment, cursing the bad choice of words.  
_Again_.  
At least the man was smart enough to use the word mice instead of rats, but the lab part was a sensitive matter too, especially for Vinnie.  
The scars that were hidden under his metal mask didn't just pop up out of nowhere, after all.  
Vinnie slowly turned his head to look at Max as he grinded his teeth.  
"What did you just say?"  
When Throttle heard the tone in his voice, about a thousand alarm bells went off in his head.  
He knew that tone.  
Their young bro was pissed and shit was about to get real.  
He jumped at his feet, so did Modo, but before the grey-furred giant could grab him, Vinnie already jumped over the table, giving Max no chance to answer his question.  
Not that he was really interested.  
Like already proven, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his hearing.  
He knew perfectly well what the guy had said.  
And now, he needed to pay.  
Provoking mice came with a price, after all.

He grabbed the human and they both fell on the floor.  
After a small struggle, Max ended up on his back with the white-furred mouse on top of him.  
"I ain't no fucking lab mouse, you hear me?", Vinnie spat out and without hesitation, he clenched his fist and punched the human male on the nose.  
The crack he felt under his knuckles didn't stop him from hitting Max again.  
And again.  
It was then when Modo grabbed his young bro by his hoodie and pulled him off the human male without real effort.  
"This ain't no good way to prove that we're different than the Plutarkians, Vin", he whispered in his young bro's ear, but Vinnie was not reasonable at this point.  
"Like I care. Lemme go, Modo, you heard what he said. No one has the right to say that, and you know it!", he protested as he kept struggling to get loose, his ruby-red eyes fuming with pure hatred and fixated on Max.  
"I think you've already made your point, bro. Enough is enough", the grey-furred giant replied calmly, not letting his own feelings towards Max getting to him.  
Well, to be completely honest, he might have grabbed Vinnie a fraction too late, thereby giving the white-furred mouse just the time he needed to give the human male a few good punches.  
But that was his little secret.

Throttle knew they had to get Vinnie out of here before things would escalate into a major and perhaps even more bloody mess.  
The young mouse still had that gun, after all.  
And Vinnie could be capricious and unpredictable, sometimes.  
One of his less pleasant qualities.  
So, he threw the key of the garage toward Modo, who managed to catch it with his tail.  
"Take him to the garage to cool off, big fella. I'll be there in a minute."  
The grey-furred giant nodded and dragged the young and upset mouse with him.  
Throttle quickly turned around to Charley, but she wasn't standing next to him anymore.  
He found her a few feet away, sitting on her knees next to Max.  
She reached out her hand to touch his face, but he slapped it away and climbed on his feet.  
Ben rushed over to them, clearly, the human doctor wanted to help, but Max wasn't having any of it and pushed Ben away.  
He then looked at Charley, who now was back on her feet too.  
Blood poured out of his nose as he glared at her with fuming eyes.  
"See?! This is why I was against taking them with us. They're all the same! And that bullshit you told the rest before dinner, about trusting them? It makes me _sick_!"  
With every word that he was yelling at her, he came closer and closer.  
The weirdest thing was that Throttle sort of expected her to push him away or tell him his place, but she winced under his loud voice, even did a few steps back to create some distance.  
He narrowed his eyes.  
Heck, if he didn't know any better, he'd think that she was scared of him.  
But that was crazy, right?  
She didn't strike him as the type to be afraid of a man.  
Or anything, for that matter.

Looking at the two, Throttle was conflicted.  
He wanted to intervene, if only to make that unpleasant nervous look on her face go away.  
On the other hand, he didn't want to make things worse.  
Still, if the guy would only so much as touch her, right here, right now...  
Well, then he couldn't guarantee Max's safety.  
Luckily, it didn't come to that, because Max already ended his not very inspirational speech.  
"I want them gone, you hear me? _Gone_!"  
And without waiting for an answer, he pushed Throttle out of the way and marched to the door.  
It closed behind him with a loud bang and tan-furred mouse now suddenly noticed how quiet it was.  
As he looked around him, he saw that everybody was gaping at them.  
Charley saw it too and quickly put on a comforting smile.  
"It's okay, everyone. Just a little misunderstanding. Please, continue your dinner."  
And after another short silence, they did.  
Charley then looked at Throttle, still with that nervous look in her eyes.  
Next to… gratitude?  
Man.  
She was even harder to read now she was lowering her walls.

"Are you okay?", he asked as he did a few steps in her direction.  
She immediately flinched and Throttle stopped, putting his hands in the air.  
"Wow, easy now. I'm not gonna hurt you…"  
She seemed to relax by hearing his husky and calm voice.  
But her behavior made him more than suspicious and the question already left his mouth before he could stop it.  
"What was that all about, Charley?"  
"What?"  
"That whole thing with Max. I mean, babe, if he's hurting you…"  
"No!", she cut him off, a bit too quick to his taste and he narrowed his eyes behind his glasses.  
She must have seen the suspicion on her face because she took a deep breath and replied to his assumption a bit calmer now.  
"No, he's not hurting me."  
Throttle studied her face, but she avoided his gaze. As she put her hands in her pockets, she stared at the floor.  
He didn't believe her.  
Not even a little bit.  
There was something very disturbing going on between her and Max, but she obviously didn't want to talk about it.  
Not with him, that is.  
Which wasn't really weird, given the fact that they only knew each other for a few days now, whereof he'd been asleep most of the time.  
And he couldn't just force the truth out of her, that had the exact opposite effect, he knew from experience.  
So, he let it be for now.  
But just for now.

"Anyhoo... we're not here to cause any trouble, I promised you that. And the last thing I want is to cause problems between you and Max. If you want us to leave too, you only have to say the word…"  
Her head jerked up and she now looked at him again with those intense green eyes of her.  
"No. I'm in charge here, not Max and I don't want you guys to leave. You're staying, and that's final."  
Hearing the firm tone of her voice, Throttle wouldn't even think about going against her, even if he wanted to.  
He didn't, though.  
Leaving this weird, yet interesting and wonderful creature behind was the last thing he wanted right now and he warmed up by hearing her say she wanted them to stay.  
"If you insist", he replied dryly.  
"I do. Insist."  
"I figured."  
Throttle cleared his throat as he pulled the red bandana that was tied around his neck.  
"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. Vinnie... he's supposed to know better, but he's young, only…"  
He made a quick calculation.  
"...19 years old. His emotions still get the best of him sometimes. Next to the fact that Max hit a nerve. Look, it's no excuse, and trust me when I say I'm gonna give him hell…"  
He was babbling. He knew he was.  
Charley laid a hand on his arm and he immediately forgot what he wanted to say.  
She bent forward and he felt her warm breath close by his ear.  
"Between you and me; don't be too hard on him. He did what no man ever dared so far…", she whispered in his ear.  
Then, she did a few steps backward and folded her arms.  
"Make sure this never happens again, you hear me?"  
The tone in her voice was now strict, but calm.  
It was the exact same tone she'd used when they met.  
But the frown between her eyes was absent.  
She even winked at him.  
Throttle did everything he could to keep his face in check, knowing he needed to play along.  
They had an audience, after all.  
And Charley couldn't lose face in front of her people.  
So, as befits a soldier, he saluted.  
"Yes, ma'am."

But... no matter how much he would like to stay here and eat dinner with this incredible creature, he knew he couldn't.  
Because duty called.  
"If you'll excuse me now, I really need to talk to my bro's."  
"Dismissed", she granted him permission, with a teasing look on her face.  
With a smile from one oversized ear to the other, Throttle turned around and walked to the door.  
Once outside, the smile slowly faded.  
This was a talk he didn't look forward too, for he knew he owed them an explanation.  
And he still had no idea what was going on.  
The one thing he did know was that he'd found his motivation to stay.  
And that was Charley.  
Because she was in serious trouble, even though she refused to admit it.  
But no woman deserved to be in such position.  
And just as Modo, Throttle always tried to do the right thing.  
Because that's just who he was.  
He finally remembered who he was again.  
And that was a leader where people can rely on.

* * *

Sidenote: Yes, I know that Vinnie is older in the series, but I've decided to make him a bit younger in this story.  
As for the rest; their ages will be revealed later on in the story.

Well, I hoped you liked it.  
Feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated.  
And till next time, dudes!

Later!

PS: God, I really do hate spiders.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, y'all!

Again, thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favs!  
Your kind words warm up my heart, that's for sure.  
And it always helps to stay motived :)  
So, THANK YOU!

Anyhoo, on with the story.  
Enjoy and feel free to leave a review after reading it.

Till next time, dudes!

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"The _nerve_ of that guy!", Vinnie spat out as he paced through the garage, rubbing the sore knuckles of his right hand.  
"Who does he think he is, saying stuff like that?!"  
He spun around to face Modo.  
"I mean, do I look like a fucking lab mouse to you?"  
The grey-furred giant looked up from his bike at his furious little brother.  
"Nope. You look…"  
"Great. I know", Vinnie cut him off and continued his pacing.  
Modo shook his head for that was _not_ what he wanted to say, but he focussed his attention back on his bike.  
Right now, it was for the best to let the white-furred mouse act out his anger.  
That is why he had picked up the bikes right after leaving the Clubhouse.  
He needed something to do while listening to Vinnie's ranting and nothing better than tinkering with his beloved bike.  
He couldn't wait to get back in the saddle again, to feel the wind going through his fur and...  
"Has he looked in the mirror lately? Shit, with a face like that there's no other way that he's out of a fucking test-tube, and he _still_ has the balls to call me a lab mouse. Me! Can you believe that shit?!"  
Modo glanced over his bike to Vinnie, who was still pacing, and he noticed that his limping had gotten worse.  
Even though Martian Mice healed rather quickly, taking things a bit slower than usual was still highly recommended, especially with a nasty bone fracture as this one.  
Now, it so happened that Modo was not a doctor, but even he knew that climbing fences, dancing, fighting and pacing hardly qualified for taking things slow.  
Then again,_ 'slow'_ didn't exist in Vinnie vocabulary, so it wasn't really world-shaking that the young mouse did the exact opposite.

Mode opened his mouth to say something about it, maybe to even tell the hyped-up mouse that he needed to calm down, but then he closed it again.  
As if that walking bundle of stubbornness would listen to him.  
No, instead of sharing this particular concern, the grey-furred giant decided to share another one.  
Something he'd noticed during the day.  
"You're unusually cranky today, bro."  
Vinnie froze and slowly turned his head to look at his bro, his ruby-red eyes fuming.  
"Are you saying that I'm overreacting?"  
Modo calmly shook his head.  
"No, the guy had it coming, alright. I don't trust Max as far as I could throw him, and you know it. What I'm saying is; you're not your usual cheerful self."  
Of course, he could just ask straight out what was eating his tail, but experience had shown that it didn't work that way.  
Not with Vinnie.  
And indeed, he took the bait.  
"Me?", the white-furred mouse asked with disbelief as he pointed at himself. "You're asking _me_ what's bothering me? You should ask Throttle! He's the one who's completely loco ever since we set foot on this planet!"

As Modo already suspected, the young mouse was suffering from Throttle's imbalance.  
He himself wasn't sure about it either, it somehow didn't feel right.  
Ever since he knew the tan-furred mouse, the guy had been calm, wise and balanced.  
His current behavior was the exact opposite and therefore concerning.  
They were friends, yes, but most of all; a team.  
And they all had their place in this little team.  
Vinnie was the dare-devil, the one you needed for extremely dangerous missions, the one who brought 'taking life-threatening risks' to the next level.  
As for himself, he was the muscle, the one you wanted to have by your side in a fight, the one who was able to do things on sheer strength.  
Throttle was the brain, the one who controlled the dare-devil and the muscle, plus he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty either.  
The three of them working together was, as Stoker always said, the perfect mix with Martian Thunder as a result.  
But the keyword here was cooperation.  
And with Throttle being this distracted, the team fell apart instantly.  
That wouldn't be such a big problem if there weren't Plutarkians here on Earth.  
But there were.  
And now, all that kept them together was their bond of friendship, which wasn't that easy to break, though.  
But you didn't win wars with friendship.  
And without a good team, death would soon be their only friend left.  
So yeah, Modo did understand his white-furred bro's concern.  
He felt it too.

"Yeah, well, Throttle ain't here, now is he? If he was, I would ask him. But he's not, so I'm asking you before the tension gets too high and you burn down half the camp."  
Modo was partially joking for he knew his young bro wouldn't just destroy the camp.  
Not on purpose, that is.  
But he tended to react a bit impulsive, from time to time.  
Especially when he was upset.  
And it was clear to Modo that he was upset.  
"So, you notice it too, huh? That he's gone wacko?", Vinnie asked in return, a bit hesitant.  
"I notice that he's not himself, yeah. He's distracted."  
The white-furred mouse continued his pacing, his hands now in the pockets of his baggy, army green Freedom Fighters cargo pants.  
"Distracted by what? We're already with one foot in the next war against the Plutarkians, how can he be distracted? We need to be ready to whip some major tail! I mean, this is our chance to make them pay for what they did to Mars and he's _distracted_? Man, talk about bad timing."  
"There are more things in life than war, little bro", Modo contradicted.  
"Yeah? Like what?"  
"Like women."

Vinnie stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the grey-furred giant with surprise on his face.  
Not because he was surprised to hear that there were women out there, heck, he was more than just aware of that fact.  
It just wasn't supposed to come out of Modo's mouth.  
That was weird.  
Beyond weird.  
"Say _what_? What do ladies have to do with this?", he asked, his head a little crooked as he rubbed his chin.  
Modo felt the urge to roll his eye, but he stopped himself right on time.  
Of course, Vinnie hadn't noticed what he had.  
Not that much of a surprise.  
"Charley. I think this is about Charley."  
Vinnie's lower jaw dropped and he stared at his older bro for a moment.  
But then, he burst into laughter.  
"Ha, _right_! That's the weirdest thing I ever heard. You're delusional, bro", he scoffed as he sat down on his bike.  
Modo shrugged.  
"Think whatever it is that you wanna think."  
And he focussed his attention back on his beloved bike.  
"Sure thing, bro. As long as you do the same", Vinnie replied, still a bit chuckling as he shook his head.

"Glad to see you smile again", a husky voice filled the room and both Vinnie and Modo looked up to see Throttle leaning against the doorway with his thumbs hooked into the loops of his deep blue cargo pants.  
"Care to share what's so funny?", their leader asked as he walked inside.  
Vinnie and Modo shared a look and the grey-furred giant softly shook his head, to let his younger bro know that now wasn't the time.  
Not yet, that is.  
This matter needed a bit more subtlety.  
Another missing word in Vinnie's vocabulary.  
The youngest of them bit his lower lip, not quite understanding why he couldn't share this, but when he looked at Throttle again, he suddenly felt the reluctance to say _anything_, for that matter.  
"Nah, just some dumb jokes, bro", Modo answered his bro's question.  
Throttle nodded understanding, knowing perfectly well that it was more than just dumb jokes, but he let it be.

"So. How is Max doing?", Vinnie broke the uncomfortable silence, still sitting on his bike and -of course- not able to keep his mouth shut for longer than ten seconds.  
Throttle turned around to face him.  
"How do you think he's doing? Never mind, don't even bother to answer that question", he immediately added. "Why is it that everywhere we go, I need to clean up your mess, hm?"  
"You're the leader. I guess that's where you signed up for", Vinnie replied casually, but his body language told otherwise.  
The minor twitch of his left ear, the tip of his tail almost dancing…  
Signs which Throttle had learned to read over the past few years.  
His young bro was annoyed.  
But the tan-furred mouse ignored it and asked the most obvious question.  
"And you couldn't, just for once, I dunno, at least_ try _to control yourself?"  
Slowly, the white-furred mouse slid off his bike.  
"You heard what he said. He had it coming. Big time. Why are you giving me hell while it was him who started all this?", he asked, not really following his leader.  
"Because it was you who threw the first punch. _After_ provoking him. What did you expect, that he would let it slip? The guy hates us, and you gave him the first good reason why he should."  
Vinnie snorted in disbelief as he glared at Throttle.  
"Are you on his side now?"  
Now it was Throttle's jaw that dropped.  
"What?! No, of course not! What a load of bull."  
He walked closer to Vinnie, who now leaned against his bike and didn't budge.  
But the tan-furred mouse didn't expect him to.  
He wasn't out on a fight, after all.  
All he needed was for him to listen.  
"But, as you so kindly pointed out to me, I'm the leader…."  
He poked his finger in Vinnie's chest by saying the word_ 'you'_.  
"That means that I need to look at the bigger picture. If we want to stay here, we can't just pick fights with the residents who are already living here. We can't afford behavior like that, Vincent. I'm sure you remember what happened on Mars? We lost our home, our people, our _everything_. We've got nowhere to go. We're homeless. Wanderers. This camp is our only hope. And I won't let you screw it up because of machismo and pride. So, for the sake of clarity; Max is off-limits until we know more about him."  
His tone of voice was soft, almost friendly, but Vinnie knew better.  
Throttle wasn't amused, not even close.  
Not that he cared.  
Because he wasn't either.  
And although he would usually stop at this point, he now persevered, not caring about the possible consequences.  
Because he felt passed over, a thing he hated.  
"What makes ya think that I wanna stay here, huh? Or Modo, for that matter?", the white-furred mouse asked as he pointed at the grey-furred giant. "Or did you already make that decision by yourself?"  
Now it was him who poked in Throttle's chest to strengthen the word_ 'you'.  
_"I mean, you're talking about the bigger picture, so why don't we look at _all_ the options here? Like, we could go out and fight. Or look for Stoker and the rest. Or we can try to find our spaceship, fix it and go back to Mars to show these stinkfaces that they've messed with the wrong mice. And the list goes on and on. But why do I get the feeling that you want us here to hide like cowards, even though we're _everything_ but cowards?"  
"For the record, I don't mind staying here, but I wished we had talked about this before the decision had been made", Modo intervened, who now sat on his bike.

Throttle's heart skipped a few beats by listening to Vinnie's rant and after taking a few steps back, he looked at his bro's.  
His friends. His family.  
They had never doubted him like this, ever before.  
And it hurt more than he liked to admit.  
"Bro's, bro's… I can believe my ears. You really think that I would make such a decision on my own? You know better than that…"  
"Yeah well, with you acting all crazy, I guess _anything_ can happen", Vinnie muttered under his breath.  
The tan-furred mouse narrowed his eyes behind his glasses.  
"What's that?"  
"Nothing."  
Even though the leader of the trio pretended he'd misheard, thanks to the great hearing that came with being a Martian Cave Mouse, he'd heard his little bro crystal clear.  
And the weirdest thing was, he couldn't even blame him for saying it.  
He was right, after all.  
But the tan-furred mouse wasn't ready to say it out loud, not yet.  
He still had no idea how to explain to his bro's why he was acting the way he did.  
But he better come up with something, rather sooner than later.

It was Modo who broke the silence.  
"Are we still welcome here, after what happened?"  
"Yeah, Charley still wants us to stay. Max, however…", Throttle answered absent-mindedly, his mind still occupied with trying to find a good explanation.  
"What about him?", Vinnie asked, his arms folded.  
"He wants us gone. He's pissed. He thinks we're the same as the Plutarkians."  
"Another reason to kick his ass", the white-furred mouse grumbled.  
Throttle looked at his rebellious and wayward little bro and arched a brow.  
Vinnie heaved a sigh and raised his hands in the air, finally defeated.  
"Okay, okay, fine. Off-limits. Bigger picture. I get it."  
"Good", Throttle said as he too took place on his bike.

They all three stared into nothingness, all occupied with their thoughts.  
Eventually, Modo cleared his throat.  
"Since it's still up for discussion, I want you guys to know that I wanna stay."  
His two bro's looked at him, but he avoided their gaze and rubbed away a spot on the metallic paint of his bike as he continued.  
"Seeing the women and children made me realize that we've been given a second chance. Just like that. And I wanna grab that opportunity with both hands and tail. I… I couldn't protect my nephew and niece, they died under my watch... "  
The grey-furred giant swallowed with difficulty, still focussed on the small spot on his bike.  
"I can't just walk away now. What if the Plutarkians come with greater numbers and breach through and we're not here? Well, I guess, after seeing the humans fight today, we all know that everybody in this camp is doomed from the moment they breach. I can't live with that."  
He then looked up at his two bro's.  
"So, I wanna stay."

Throttle slowly nodded, knowing that no words could ease Modo's pain and therefore, he didn't try.  
No, he just turned his head and looked at Vinnie, who gave the impression that he had cooled off at last.  
The white-furred mouse rubbed his chin, for a moment deep in thought, but then he shrugged.  
"Forget what I said. I wanna stay too. I agree with that second chance thingy Modo just mentioned. It's time for some real payback for what they did to Mars. Besides, if there's a war raging, then Vinnie is gonna be there. Can't let them keep all the fun to themselves, now can I?"  
"Very noble, Vin", Modo chuckled as he shook his head.  
Some things would probably never change.  
"Noble schmoble. Man, I can't wait to be on the road again", Vinnie snickered, almost bouncing on his bike in excitement.

Throttle cracked a smile, but it soon vanished for it was his turn now.  
He knew he needed to tell them about Max, or at least what his suspicions were, but it didn't seem to be the right timing.  
Vinnie had finally agreed that he would leave the human male alone, but what Throttle needed to tell them was gonna make Max even less popular, as far as that goes.  
Perhaps Modo was now his biggest concern, this was, after all, about mistreating a lady.  
But the tan-furred mouse couldn't just keep this to himself.  
He usually never held things back for his bro's.  
So why start now?

"I wanna stay too", he started before he would back out again.  
"I agree with both of you. This all feels like a second chance, as if we can make up for our mistakes…"  
"Aaaaaaand?", Vinnie almost sang when Throttle trailed off, for even he felt that there was more to come.  
The tan-furred mouse took a deep breath.  
"There's another reason I wanna stay…"  
"Yeeeeees?"  
"Will you stop that?"  
"Noooooo…"  
"Hey, is that a spider?", Throttle suddenly asked as he pointed at Vinnie's arm.  
The white-furred mouse immediately jumped off his bike with sheer panic on his face and his hands flew over his body as he desperately searched for the only creature that was able to scare him.  
"Where? Where is it? Tell me! _TELL ME_!"  
Throttle and Modo shared a look and then burst into laughter.  
When Vinnie heard them laugh, it started to dawn upon him and he slowly lowered his hands as he raised his eyes to heaven somehow tiredly.  
"There's no spider", he concluded toneless.  
"Nope."  
"Low, bro. Low."  
"I think it's a perfect new way to keep you in line", Throttle chuckled.  
"And you said you didn't dance...", Modo added with a smug smile.  
"Ugh, bite hard and shut it", Vinnie grumbled as he dropped back on his bike again.  
The laughter slowly died and Throttle shook his head in amusement before he grew entirely serious again.  
It was time to get down to business.  
And no beating around the bush anymore.  
He took a deep breath and braced himself.  
"I think Max is abusing or has abused Charley…"

Both of his bro's jerked upright when they heard the words, Vinnie even fell off his bike.  
"Say _what_?!", he squeaked from behind his beloved red racer.  
Modo's eye was already glowing red as he looked at his friend and leader.  
"_What_?! How do you know?"  
Vinnie's head popped up from behind his bike.  
"And he's _still_ off-limit?"  
Throttle raised both hands in the air.  
"Easy now, bro's. I'm not entirely sure, it's a conclusion I drew based on what I saw."  
And he told them what happened after they'd left.  
Vinnie climbed back on his bike, sitting down cross-legged on the leather seat and rubbed his sore leg as he listened to what Throttle was telling them.  
Modo sat on his bike like a frozen deer, his eye still glowing red.  
"So, that's the other reason why I wanna stay. I wanna help her. No one deserves to be in such position…", Throttle concluded a bit hesitantly.  
He wasn't sure what was gonna happen next, but he decided to just wait for their reactions.

"So you _do_ like her", Vinnie remarked with a low voice and Throttle looked at him a bit surprised.  
The white-furred mouse pointed at Modo who was still staring into nothingness.  
"The big fella here already figured out that you being all crazy and all is because of her. I didn't buy it, though. But now… I can't believe me of all mice is saying this but right now, I'm starting to doubt myself."  
Throttle had no idea what to say.  
He felt the strong need to deny everything, but at the same time, that didn't feel right either.  
But Vinnie didn't give him much time to think.  
Not really surprising.  
That boy's curiosity was gonna get him killed one day.  
"Well, do you?", the white-furred mouse insisted.  
"To be completely honest, I don't know. But it goes without saying that she's doing _something_ to me..."  
There.  
He said it.  
It felt somehow liberating to say it out loud.  
Carrying all these thoughts and feelings alone made it a heavy burden.  
Not that Vinnie was able to carry it with him, but that's okay.  
He didn't mind to carry it alone, he was a leader after all.  
He carried lots of things on his own.  
But to unveil the tip of the iceberg was already enough.  
To create some space.  
Liberating space.  
Modo was still awfully quiet, though…  
And of course it was Vinnie who asked the one thing he didn't want to be asked.  
The one thing he didn't want to think about right now.  
"What about Carbine?"  
Throttle closed his eyes for a moment, his heart aching by only hearing her name.  
"What about her?"  
"You tell me."  
The tan-furred mouse wasn't sure since when that loudmouth cared about Carbine.  
These two were like oil and water, they won't mix.  
Next to that, things between him and Carbine were… _complicated.  
_Not something he wanted to discuss with the young white-furred mouse, not now.  
Perhaps not ever.

It was then when Modo finally came back to senses.  
He stepped off his bike and walked over to Throttle.  
When he stood next to his bro and leader, he pointed at Vinnie.  
"You need to stop interrogate him like that, one cannot always control their feelings and emotions, you of all mice should know that."  
"But…"  
"No buts. Not now."  
Apparently, the raw edge on his voice was enough to stop Vinnie from further protesting and the young mouse folded his arms in annoyance.  
Modo ignored him and laid a hand on Throttle's shoulder.  
"You know I've got your back, no matter what, right?"  
The tan furred mouse nodded.  
"Good. But this whole thing with Charley, it's dangerous, bro. You're distracted, more than distracted. And if there weren't Plutarkians here, I would've let you figure it out by yourself, on your own time. But if we stay here, we need to stay as a team. We're good, perhaps even invincible, but only if we work closely together. But you ain't here, bro. You're miles away. And we know better than to underestimate these stinkfaces. Next to all that, Max is a problem. We can't work with him, so I'd say; either he goes or we. Only then we have a chance to survive here. To do things differently. To make up for our mistakes."

Silence dawned upon them, his two bro's a bit awed by this speech.  
"Amen to that, bro, or whatever it is they say. Shit man, you obviously picked the wrong business. You should've been a preacher with the Believers", Vinnie breathed impressed.  
"Uh, thanks… I guess…", the grey-furred giant answered as he scratched himself behind the ear, a bit lost how to interpret this… statement.  
He too was a bit amazed by his own wise words.  
It didn't happen that often that Modo spoke up like this, but these were desperate times, after all. And desperate times called for desperate measures.  
Maybe he needed to reconsider his thought about their team falling apart.  
Maybe that thought had been presumptuous.  
Because for a moment, the tables were turned.  
For a moment, Modo was the brain, simply because Throttle couldn't.  
And there was only so much one could expect from Vinnie.  
But every star had an understudy, so to speak of course, especially in times of need.  
A mouse couldn't carry the responsibility all by himself, nor could his friends expect that the mouse could.  
Perhaps their friendship was enough after all.  
Perhaps friendship was the key to their success.

Throttle heaved a sigh because Modo had just hit it on the head.  
He didn't mind his older bro to stand up like that.  
Unlike some others, he didn't have an ego standing in the way.  
All he ever wanted was to do the right thing, to protect the ones he loved.  
And right now, he wasn't able to do that by himself.  
That was the unadulterated truth.  
On days like these, he was more than just grateful to have his bro's around.  
On days like these, he remembered why they were such a good team.  
Because they weren't just colleagues.  
They were friends.  
_Family._

The tan-furred mouse looked at Modo.  
"You're right. You're absolutely right. It feels like I've let you down…"  
"You _didn't_", Modo instantly reassured him.  
"You _did_", Vinnie agreed with Throttle at the same time and Modo gave him a meaningful look, to tell him he needed to stop with whatever it was what he was doing.  
But Throttle laid a hand on Modo's arm.  
"He's right, Modo. My head is elsewhere while it should be with you, with us. Nothing is ever so uncertain as our future, now isn't the time to be distracted."  
"You're only saying this because you like to control things, but some things just can't be controlled. Sometimes, the heart beats the head", Modo contradicted.

Again, the big fella was right.  
Throttle was very aware of the fact that he could be quite the neurotic sometimes, he simply thrived on control.  
It was a both good and bad quality to have.  
But apart from the good or bad part, it was this certain quality that made this situation almost unbearable.  
He had no control whatsoever and it drove him crazy.  
The tan-furred mouse took off his glasses and rubbed his bionic eyes.  
Even though it weren't real eyes, they felt more than just real and now, they were stinging by fatigue.  
"Still… I owe you guys an apology, especially you, Vinnie."  
Throttle put back on his glasses and looked at his young bro, who now gave the impression he wanted to run away as far as he could.  
It was no secret that Vinnie didn't feel comfortable with conversations such as this one.  
But that didn't stop Throttle.  
He felt guilty for his behavior towards the white-furred mouse and he wanted to set things straight.  
"I shouldn't have hit you, or make fun of you the way I did. It's hard to explain why I did it, but know that I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."  
Vinnie avoided his gaze and fiddled with the fabric of his pants.  
"It's cool, bro. We're cool", he eventually said softly as he glanced at his older bro out of the corner of his eye.

After giving him a grateful smile, the leader of the Biker Mice from Mars cleared his throat.  
"We need to come up with a plan for what we're gonna do with Max…"  
"That's easy. We put a bullet in the guy's head and let him rot. Or we tie him up and quarter him with our bikes. No, wait, that's a no go for we only have three bikes… Maybe we can cut off his head? Or his dirty little wandering hands, for that matter", Vinnie babbled, but he trailed off when he saw his two bro's staring at him.  
"What? Too much?"  
Throttle sighed a bit tiredly.  
That white-furred loudmouth could be so unteachable sometimes.  
"Vincent, bigger picture, remember?"  
Modo walked over to the white-furred youngster and swung an arm around his neck.  
"Yeah, little bro, see this as a lesson; violence doesn't solve anything…"  
"It doesn't?", Vinnie asked surprised and the grey-furred giant pulled him closer.  
"Nah. Although a little practice never hurt anyone", he whispered in his young bro's ear.  
Vinnie's lips curled into a smile and Modo let him go.  
'_Bigger picture'_, Throttle mouthed to him.  
Vinnie scratched the back of his neck, smiling a bit sheepishly.  
"Yeah, well, ya know what they say, old habits die hard. Still man, I think he deserves it."  
"I agree with you on that point, but we can't just kill the guy based on a hunch. Come to think of it, why do I get the feeling that we've had this conversation before?", the tan-furred mouse asked to no one in specific.

He was tired.  
So tired.  
This day had been rough on him, and he was now starting to feel its effect.  
All these emotions, feelings, thoughts, happenings from the last few days were taking its toll.  
Why couldn't life just be simple and peaceful, even if it's just for one day?  
A big yawn escaped his mouth and Modo clapped him on the back, seeing that his bro was about to reach his limit for today.  
"Look, bro, we've been through a lot the past few days. Why don't we let it all be for what it is and fix the bikes, huh? We can tell Charley tomorrow that we've decided to stay. Maybe you can talk to her in private about Max, perhaps she'll be a bit more chatty without the whole camp listening."  
"Yeah, and while you're at it, tell her I want my guns back. I can't fight a war without my babies, I mean, where's the fun in that?", Vinnie added, already started with patching up his bike. The sooner she would be ready to rumble, the better.  
Throttle wasn't entirely convinced, but deep down, he knew that Modo was right.  
There was only so much he could do right now, besides, Charley had taken care of herself in a broken world for six years already.  
She was independent, no matter what was going on between her and Max.  
Next to that, they needed to play this by the book.  
They couldn't just dive in.  
No, there was too much at stake here.  
Their whole future, for example.  
And right now, he couldn't think straight.  
Too much was going on.  
"Okay. Tomorrow", he therefore agreed.  
Modo nodded and laid a hand on Throttle's shoulder.  
"In the meantime, you need to try to figure out that thing you have with Charley. I really hate to ask this from you, especially after what happened on Mars, but we need you here, bro. We need you here."  
The tan-furred mouse looked into his older bro's eye, which was filled with nothing but concern and compassion.  
There was no judgment.  
No hard feelings.  
It felt strangely comforting.  
"I know, big fella. I'll do my best", he promised.  
Modo nodded.  
"That's all I ask."

An hour past.  
All three mice were busy with patching up their beloved bikes in total silence, a thing that was uncommon for them and especially for Vinnie.  
But even the white-furred mouse hadn't said a word for a whole hour now.  
Usually, that only happened when he was asleep.  
It was Throttle who broke the silence, surprisingly enough.  
But Vinnie had planted a seed in his head by mentioning Stoker and Carbine and it had managed to grow into a tree in only one hour.  
The tree of guilt.  
"I keep thinking… Is it wrong to stay here? Shouldn't we go look for Stoker and the rest? It somehow feels as if we owe it to them… You know, after all he has done for us?"  
"Why? They're probably dead anyway", Vinnie answered brusquely.  
The wrench slipped out of Throttle's hand and clattered on the floor while Modo almost knocked over his bike.  
He managed to grab the handlebar right on time and quickly put her back on her tires.  
"What?", the white-furred mouse asked when he saw their reaction, but then it dawned upon him and he narrowed his ruby-red eyes.  
"Oh, come on, bro's. Don't give me that look. I'm only saying what we all know, man."  
Throttle shook his head in confusion and disbelief.  
"What do you mean, we all know? We know _nothing_, Vincent. They could just as easily be alive."  
"Okay, what we all _think_ then, geez. Everyone's a critic", Vinnie snorted and he pointed at Throttle with the wrench still in his hand.  
"Because let's face it, it _must_ have crossed your mind."  
Throttle opened his mouth, but then closed it again.  
Of course it had crossed his mind.  
But saying it out loud was an entirely different thing.  
The truth was; they had no idea what happened to them, so he wasn't gonna make all sorts of assumptions.  
A mouse went insane for a lot less.  
And Charley had already rocked his foundation.  
So, he decided to give the ball back to Vinnie.  
"If you're so sure about this, then why did you suggest to go out and look for them?"  
Vinnie sighed and leaned on his bike as he looked at his friend and leader, a usual serious look on his face.  
It somehow made him look a few years older, Throttle realized.  
"I only said that to make a point, bro. I mean, what are the odds of them being alive?"  
"We're still alive", Modo answered that question by stating the obvious.  
"Yeah, but we were lucky, right? Look, all I'm saying is that I ain't gonna keep my hopes up for nothing. Besides, I saw Earth from our spaceship before we went down. It's like five times bigger than Mars, so it would be like searching for a grenade in a minefield."

Throttle's heartbeat gradually slowed down for he now understood why the young mouse was so determined to believe that they were dead.  
It was self-protection.  
Having hope was a dangerous thing for those who live in a war, after all.  
A mouse could better assume the worst and have low expectations, to soften the blow when it finally arrived.  
It seemed callous, but the young mouse was everything but that.  
Like mentioned before, he just had some strange coping mechanisms.  
The tan-furred mouse shared a look with Modo, who now seemed to understand it too and they both relaxed a bit.  
Sure, their youngest bro could be right, but unlike him, they both didn't mind to have a little bit of hope.  
They used it as something to hold on to, to stay upright in this world that's upside down.  
After glancing at Vinnie one last time, Modo cleared his throat.  
"I dunno, bro, I think Stoke would've wanted us to stay put, I can almost hear him yelling at us…"  
Vinnie suddenly jumped over his bike with a face like thunder as he put his left hand on his back and used his right hand to point at his two bro's.  
"You stay and fight! For freedom! And don't even think about running, rookies! You hear me? You stay and fight!", he imitated Stoker's lower voice, his tail lashing.  
Throttle and Modo burst into laughter for the young mouse did a perfect and accurate impersonating of their mentor.  
One could say a lot about Vinnie, but he sure knew how to diffuse a tense situation.  
"Haha, yeah, that's Stoker, alright", Modo grinned as he wiped away a tear.  
"Oh man, those were the days", Throttle chuckled.  
"He always said that, but come on… running?", Vinnie snickered.  
"_Never_", they said in unison.  
Throttle picked up the wrench from the floor, still with the shadow of a smile on his face.  
"There's our answer. We stay and fight. Just like Stoker taught us."

As silence dawned upon them again, Modo still felt that nagging feeling of worry.  
And it all had something to do with a certain white-furred mouse.  
Next to being the dare-devil, Vinnie was the self-proclaimed Romeo of the trio, after all.  
And he had been too quiet, too... _agreeable_ when Throttle told them that Charley did something to him.  
Most of all, he had named Carbine.  
It was this fact that worried Modo the most, because he knew Vinnie couldn't care less about Carbine.  
He was just one step away from hating her guts.  
But naming Throttle's old flame, who now may even be dead, would act on his guilt.  
And since their leader owned a great sense of responsibility, well...  
Vinnie had played this move very smart.  
Below the belt, yes, but smart.  
_If_ he'd planned it as a move, that is.  
That was the question.

Modo glanced at Vinnie over his bike, looking for a sign that could tell him how the young mouse felt about all this.  
Unfortunately, Vinnie had put on his game-face, meaning; it was completely blank and the grey-furred giant couldn't find any clue of what was going on his mind whatsoever.  
And since he couldn't ask this in Throttle's presence, Modo made a mental note to himself that he would ask Vinnie as soon as he got the chance.  
But this whole thing worried him to the core.  
What if Max wasn't their biggest problem?  
Or the Plutarkians?  
What if both of his bro's had a thing for Charley?  
_Oh, momma.  
_That was gonna be the biggest test ever.  
The test of friendship...

'_We held our breath when the clouds began to form...  
__But you were lost in the beating of the storm.'_


	12. Chapter 12

Hey you guys!

I hope you're all doing fine :)  
Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows.  
As you all know by now it's very much appreciated and it sure as hell keeps me motivated! XD  
As for my more silent readers, thank you for reading my story.

Anyway, anyhoo, next chapter!  
I hope you guys enjoy and feel free to leave a review.  
It helps to hear your opinion, but no pressure of course.

Till next time, my dear friends!  
Later!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

'_Give me the strength of the rising sun...  
__Give me the truth of the words unsung...'_

Throttle stared at the sun rising from the deep horizon, his head making overtime after their first full day on this planet called Earth.  
It was beyond crazy how much could happen in only a few days, it was almost too much to take in.  
The tan-furred mouse looked to the sky and he couldn't help himself but wonder how things were going on Mars right now.  
Was it possible that there were survivors?  
Or was the entire population of Martian Cave Mice wiped out?  
Apart from them, that is.  
He heaved a sigh.  
He would probably never know for they were stuck here.  
_Here.  
_On planet Earth, where things were even more complicated than they had been on Mars.  
And _only_ because of a woman.  
Never had he thought that a woman was able to rock his foundation the way Charley did.  
Modo had asked him to figure it out, but he wasn't entirely sure how.  
Of course, he tried.  
He tried very hard.  
So hard, that he hadn't been able to sleep which was weird given the fact how tired he was.  
But here he was, sitting outside their tent, looking at the sunrise with a spinning head after a restless and sleepless night.

They had worked on the bikes until deep in the night and thanks to the fully equipped garage, their beloved rides were now ready to rock again.  
After that, it had cost Throttle his tremendous powers of persuasion to stop Vinnie from going for a little test drive, even though he too had yearned for a ride on his dear bike.  
But waking up the entire camp in the middle of the night was not something he wanted to have on his conscience.  
Not only because their bikes weren't as silent as the electrical vehicles on this planet, but because Throttle knew all too well what Vinnie meant with a_ 'test drive.'  
_That would come with weapons, explosions and a lot of battle cries.  
After all, _'silent'_ didn't exist in Vinnie's vocabulary.  
Come to think of it, that boy had a rather limited vocabulary.  
Eventually, it had been Ben who had interrupted their discussion with the message that he was picking them up to show them to their own tent so that they had a private place to sleep.  
Charley hadn't shown her pretty face the whole night, a given that had somehow worried Throttle.  
After all, she had been so excited at the prospect to work on their bikes, eager to take a closer look at the for her alien technology.  
But when they followed Ben to their tent, they had spotted a big plume of smoke in the distance and after Modo had asked the human doctor for the reason, Throttle's worries had been assuaged.  
"They're burning the bodies of the Samaki outside the camp", Ben had answered. "After all, alien or not, dead bodies don't clean themselves up."  
"Is Charley with them?", the tan-furred mouse had asked in return and after giving him a curious and investigative look, the doctor had nodded to confirm his thoughts.

Throttle took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.  
They had begun to sting to never stop ever since they set foot on this planet and first, he had chalked it up to tiredness.  
But now he wasn't so sure anymore.  
Maybe he needed to ask Ben to take a look at it, but then again, what did a human doctor know about bionic eyes which were made by their biggest and common enemy?  
When he put his glasses back on, he was already thinking back at the relief he had felt when Ben had confirmed that Charley was with her people, doing things a leader should do.  
It made him realize that he felt this strong and great need to protect her.  
To keep her safe.  
_Why though?  
_She didn't need him to keep herself safe, this whole camp was the proof of that.  
_But what about Max?  
_Right.  
_Max.  
_Throttle shifted his weight and pulled his legs up.  
As he wrapped his arms around them, he rested his chin on his knees, looking at how the sun slowly climbed higher and higher.  
It was such a different view than he was used to and for a moment, he was mesmerized by the sight.  
Who wouldn't?  
The deep blue sky alone was breath taken to see given the fact that his eyes were used to look at a pink one.  
The tan-furred Martian Mouse let out his breath.  
Modo had asked him to figure this thing out and he did.  
Well, sort of.  
But he couldn't lie to himself, not anymore.  
And even though he still had no idea why and how this was gonna work out, he did know one thing.  
He was, without a doubt, attracted to this amazing creature who carried the name Charley.  
Only admitting this to himself instead of fighting it, what he had done until this moment he now realized, gave him some sort of strange feeling of peace.  
It made him able to see things a lot more clear and he finally felt a bit more like himself again, even though he still had that restless feeling that came with having no control.  
But as Modo said, sometimes the heart beats the head.  
And there was nothing he could do about it.  
Except for letting go and stay on the path that the universe had chosen for him.

It was Vinnie who broke him out of his trance and Throttle looked at his right to see the young mouse taking place next to him.  
Although he was yawning like he just woke up, the tan-furred mouse could easily tell that he wasn't the only one who had a sleepless night.  
Thanks to the white fur, the dark circles under his ruby-red eyes were clearly visible and they usually weren't there.  
"Modo's still asleep?"  
"Out like a light", the white-furred youngster managed to get out between his yawns.  
"Rough night?"  
Vinnie shrugged as another big yawn escaped his mouth, therefore not able to answer the question, although Throttle had the feeling he didn't want to either.  
Still, he was curious about what had kept the young mouse out of his sleep.  
On the other hand, he didn't need a looking glass to know that he himself didn't look that well either and if he was gonna ask Vinnie for an explanation, the white-furred mouse would certainly play the ball back to him.  
And he was not in the mood to talk about Charley with his young bro.  
Not until he knew where Vinnie stood with the human female.  
Despite the fact that he needed glasses to have good vision, Throttle wasn't blind.  
He knew damn well that the white-furred mouse was interested in Charley too.  
He just didn't know_ how_ interested.  
But this morning, after a sleepless night, after everything that went down the last couple of days…  
This morning wasn't the time nor the place to start that conversation.

"That blue sky is so weird. It's gotta take me some time to get used to it, I guess", Vinnie broke him out of his thoughts again.  
"Yeah, it is weird, alright", Throttle agreed.  
A long silence followed as the two mice and brother's in arms just sat there, taking in the view that Earth had to offer them.  
"You think we ever go back? Ya know... to Mars?", the white-furred mouse eventually broke the silence a bit hesitant, rubbing his wounded leg absent-mindedly as his gaze was still focussed on the for them unfamiliar sky.  
Throttle glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and he suddenly realized again how young Vinnie actually was.  
It was a fact, but so often forgotten.  
War made a mouse forget a lot of things that seemed less important at first glance, but that didn't mean they weren't.  
"I don't know", the leader of the trio answered the question honestly.  
Vinnie heaved a sigh as he picked up a small stone from the ground.  
"So, guess we better make the best of it then, huh?", and after studying it for a little while, he threw the little rock away.  
Throttle's bionic eyes followed the small object till it landed in the grass and he nodded.  
"Yeah, it's our only option for now."  
"Then you know we need to tackle Max."  
"And we will."  
"Promise?"  
Throttle looked his young bro straight in the eye as he held up two fingers and laid the other hand on his chest at the level of his beating heart.  
"Bikers honor."  
He wasn't entirely sure why Vinnie was this hell-bent on getting rid of Max.  
Sure, the guy was disgusting, a very nasty personality and Throttle wanted him gone too.  
Still…  
"But it's gonna take some time. Bigger picture, remember?"

Vinnie initially didn't respond and Throttle assumed that the easily distracted mouse was already with his mind elsewhere, but little did he know.  
"She's gonna deny it, you know that right?"  
Throttle turned his head and looked at Vinnie with surprise written on his face.  
The white-furred mouse already seemed to regret saying that out loud, shifting his weight uncomfortably and avoiding his leader's gaze, but it was too late.  
Because now it was Throttle's curiosity that was piqued.  
"What makes you say that?"  
Vinnie shrugged in an attempt to look nonchalant, even though the signs were there that he was more than just uncomfortable.  
"That's just how these things work, right? Everybody knows that."  
"Hm, guess I'm not everybody then, because I have no idea what you're talking about."  
Of course, the tan-furred mouse had a slight idea where Vinnie was getting at, but he wasn't planning on putting words in his big mouth.  
Vinnie rubbed his face, mumbling something about him being unable to keep his mouth shut and Throttle smiled, he just couldn't stop himself.  
So it seemed that not only he and Modo were so-called victims of the fact that Vinnie was suffering from the foot-in-mouth syndrome.  
Mister loudmouth himself wasn't always pleased with himself either.  
What a wonderful news on this early morning.

The young mouse let out his breath and looked to the sky again.  
"Well, it's just like I said it; she's gonna deny it."  
"Why?"  
"Because she's ashamed. Scared too. Because deep down, she probably still loves him, despite everything. It's all a mind game, man. A sick and disturbing mind game. It's some crazy shit, that's what it is."  
Throttle stared at him, for this all came from a very unexpected source.  
Sure, he knew that his young bro wasn't dumb, because he wasn't.  
But he was young, wild and not taking life all too serious, most of the time that is.  
So to hear him say his, to hear him talk about this very complicated and delicate matter was… _astonishing_ to say at least.  
"How you do you know?", Throttle asked, trying to hide the surprise in his voice, but of course, that failed.  
Vinnie shrugged, it seemed that he either hadn't heard the shock in his bro's voice or he had decided to ignore it and picked up another pebble.  
"I've seen it up close and personal, but trust me, we don't wanna go there."  
Throttle suddenly remembered Stoker telling him that Vinnie didn't come from a loving family. He had left out the details though, and Throttle hadn't asked either because he had known that Stoker would never tell.  
The brown-furred mouse always had been very careful with sharing confidential information and Throttle could only respect that.  
After all, it wouldn't be fair if a mouse would tell another mouse's stories.  
Throttle laid a hand on Vinnie's shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze.  
"I'm sorry to hear that."  
"Yeah, well, it's history now."  
_So was Mars._

"You really think she loves him?", the tan-furred mouse asked after another silence, still getting used to the fact that he was having this conversation with his young and rebellious brother.  
"I dunno, man... Like I said, it's some crazy ass shit, bro."  
Hearing the slightly desperate tone in Vinnie's voice made Throttle more than just restless, but he remained calm on the outside.  
Panicking wasn't going to help Charley.  
"Still, there must be a way to help her."  
Vinnie was still playing with the small rock.  
"Maybe we need to speed up the process. Provoke him a little. Maybe then he's gonna show his true nature…"  
The white-furred mouse threw away the stone with all his strength, but this time it landed on one of the other tents with a loud thump, an action that wasn't appreciated by its owner.  
"Hey! Some people are trying to sleep here, you know!", a muted voice came out of the green tent.  
"Whoops... sorry! Hehe..."  
But Throttle hardly noticed all this. Vinnie's words now dawned upon him and he ran a slightly trembling hand through the bangs between his big ears.  
"But if we provoke him, he might take it out on Charley. For all we know, he might even kill her."  
But Vinnie shook his head.  
"Nah, he won't."  
"We don't know that. We don't know him, we can't predict what he will do if we back him in a corner", the tan-furred mouse stuck to his point, far from comforted.

Finally, Vinnie looked at him and Throttle saw the determination in his crimson eyes.  
"Trust me, he won't."  
Then, a slightly challenging smile appeared on his face as he punched his leader on the arm.  
"Come on, fearless leader, where are your guts, huh? You can't always play safe and you of all mice should know that. Sometimes, you just gotta have the balls to push the button and let the whole thing blow."  
"Not if someone's life is at risk, I'm not."  
"There's only one life at risk here and it definitely ain't Charley's."  
The threat in his voice was clearly hearable and Throttle now understood Vinnie's urgent need to take down Max.  
It was all based on old pain.  
To have an opportunity to do the right thing this time.  
Throttle may not know much about Vinnie's past, but the fact that the white-furred mouse had joined the Freedom Fighters at such a young age could only mean that things went south with his family.  
Therefore, the tan-furred leader knew he was walking on thin ice now.  
Vinnie could be right, as someone who's been there.  
But at the same time, he had to be careful not to follow the young mouse on his road to revenge.  
There was too much at stake, once again.  
_Charley.  
_"I'll think about it."  
"Whatever, man. Just don't think too long. Don't make the same mistake as I did", Vinnie answered as he climbed back on his feet. Before Throttle could ask what he meant with that, the young mouse was already back in the tent.  
For a moment, he could only stare at the ground in confusion.  
Did he really just have that conversation with the rebel of their small but successful group or was he hallucinating?  
No, it was real.  
And it made things even more complicated.

**_…_**

"Good morning. I hope your new accommodation is to your satisfaction?", Charley greeted them with a warm smile when the three mice sat down at the table for breakfast.  
"It's quite comfortable, Charley ma'am", Modo answered polity.  
"Yeah, thanks, babe, we really appreciate all the things you've done for us so far", Throttle added as he quickly switched place with Vinnie, because believe it or not, that loudmouth had picked the chair across Max.  
_Again.  
_Throttle didn't care anymore if it might look weird or would raise questions, the young mouse shouldn't be sitting across Max and that's that.  
End of story.  
Vinnie looked a bit annoyed when his leader dragged him off his seat, but even he probably knew he couldn't argue with this theory because he said nothing.  
In fact, nobody did.  
There wasn't really that much left to say, not after the fight from yesterday.  
That was proof enough that these two needed to stay out of each other's fairway as much as possible.

Max, who sat next to Charley, looked at them with a face like thunder, his nose swollen.  
Given the fact that humans had hairless faces, the bruises weren't that hard to miss either and Vinnie couldn't stop himself but to smile, proud of his work.  
He almost asked if it still hurt, but he stopped himself right on time.  
After all, he'd promised Throttle to leave Max alone, bigger picture and all.  
For now, that is.  
But his smile faded when his gaze landed on his plate.  
"Hey! What's this? No hotdogs?"  
His high-pitched voice managed to break the rising tension and Ben, who on his turn sat next to Max, answered Vinnie's question.  
"That's what we call a salad, my dear boy."  
"But… it's _green_. That means it is a plant. Isn't that reason enough to not eat it?", the white-furred mouse asked as he carefully took one salad leaf off his plate, using only two fingers and with a suspicious look on his face.  
As if the food would sneeze vitamins into his face or whatever it was that was going through his head.  
"It's healthy. If we would eat hotdogs every day, we'll grow out of our clothes. And in a world like this, being fat is dangerous", Ben explained with a little smile, jovial as he was.  
In spite of all the misery he was surrounded by, it seemed that the human doctor was blessed with a good spirit and Throttle noticed that he really liked the man.  
He was honest and sincere, qualities that were rare these days.  
On Mars, that is, but the tan-furred mouse figured this was also the case on Earth.  
For in times of need, most people dropped the act and took off their mask to reveal their true nature, which wasn't pretty most of the time.

Vinnie sniffed at the leaf and his whole face twisted in disgust as he dropped it back on his plate.  
"Ugh, no way I'm gonna eat that."  
That yielded him a glare from Modo.  
"As my old grey-furred momma used to say; you'll eat what's on the table and you'll be grateful for it as well. The people here share their food with us, Vin, it's plain rude to pass up."  
"Besides, since when do you skip a meal, huh? On Mars you used to eat everything that came on your path, including healthy stuff. I remember they used to call you Vinnie the Dumpster...", Throttle added.  
"They did not! Well, they did, but...", but the tan-furred mouse didn't let him finish that sentence.  
They wanted him to be here, right?  
As in, _right_ here.  
It was only yesterday that Modo had asked him to do what he was good at, namely; being a leader where people could rely on.  
And so he did, because Modo was right.  
Refusing a meal could be an insult to the human's hospitality.  
"You're gonna eat that and that's final."  
The tone of his voice said it all and Vinnie grumbled something unintelligible before he reluctantly started his meal.  
Throttle did the same, but when he took the first bite, he almost shivered of disgust and he needed to stop himself from gagging.  
This... salad thing was inedible to say the least.  
When he glanced at Modo from the corner of his eye, he saw the grey-furred mouse chewing on the strange food a bit difficult with a doubtful look on his face, telling the leader that he wasn't the only one having trouble with this meal.  
But they both had no other choice but to suck it up and eat the entire portion, simply because they had lectured Vinnie just now.  
The white-furred mouse saw their faces and immediately smelled an opportunity to get back at them.  
His lips curled into a smug smile and he leaned forward towards Ben.  
"I think my two bro's would love to have a refill after they've finished this one."  
Both Throttle and Modo jerked upright, but Ben gave Vinnie a confused look.  
"But no one ever asked for a second helping of this salad…"  
"_Geez_, I wonder why?", the white-furred mouse reacted so-called shocked, but Throttle heard the sarcastic subtext and he quickly intervened.  
No way that he was able to eat another round of this terrible dish and knowing Vinnie, he would pull it off, too.  
It was for the best to stop this before the young mouse got the chance.  
"It's okay, Ben, he's just messing around. We're good, right, big fella?"  
Modo nodded firmly, without a doubt being on the same page.  
"Oh yeah, yeah, we most definitely are."  
Ben shrugged and continued his meal.  
"Whatever you want, laddies."

Now that threat had passed, Throttle peeked at Charley as he took another bite.  
She was eating her salad with a blank face and the frown was back in full glory.  
Her eyes weren't twinkling either.  
He realized that she was back to her closed self again and it somehow made his heart ache.  
It also set things in motion.  
Perhaps things weren't that complicated.  
Maybe he just _made_ them complicated.  
But seeing that she had raised her walls back up was enough for him to make a decision and he cleared his throat.  
"We've talked about your proposal."  
Up until this moment, he had planned to tell her the outcome of their conversation in private, or at least, not in Max's presence.  
But with Vinnie's words in the back of his mind, he now immediately went for the attack.  
Full force.  
Because he couldn't stand to look into these dead and empty eyes anymore, not for a second longer.  
She didn't deserve this, even though he still wasn't sure what was going on.  
But the time had arrived to find out.  
One way or another.

From the moment the words left his mouth, Charley froze.  
So did Max.  
But Charley was the first to recover and she looked up at him, her beautiful green eyes now filled with hope and Throttle felt a tingle in his belly.  
The look on her face confirmed his feeling that he made the right decision.  
And now it was time to have the balls to push the button and let it all blow, as Vinnie so wonderfully described.  
"We've decided we wanna stay. Not just that, we wanna help you in your fight with the Plutarkians as well."  
Throttle kept a close eye on both Charley and Max while Ben clapped in his hands.  
"That's marvelous news!", he exclaimed, perhaps as an attempt to lift the mood since it just dropped below freezing point.  
Charley's eyes lit up and for a moment, she was back to that happy, carefree and lighthearted girl she had been yesterday, even if it was for a few moments.  
Max, however, looked like he was gonna explode any second now, with his teeth clenched and that throbbing vein in his forehead.  
So, Throttle decided to drop the last bomb.  
"On one condition. We want our weapons back."

And there it was.  
Max jumped at his feet and his chair clattered on the floor with a lot of noise.  
"Over my _dead_ body!", he spat out as he pointed a finger in Throttle's direction, who wasn't impressed at all.  
It took a lot more to impress him than a hot-headed human who couldn't keep his hands to himself.  
"That can be arranged", Vinnie replied sharply, immediately triggered by the aggressive reaction of the human male and he too got up on his feet, the food and his promise forgotten.  
Throttle grabbed his arm and dragged him down, back on his chair.  
"Patience, Vincent. _Patience_", he whispered, so soft that it could only be heard by Martian ears.  
The white-furred mouse grinded his teeth but gave a small nod in return, to let his leader know that he got the message, although it took a lot of his self-control to remain on his seat.  
After one more glare at Vinnie, Max turned his head and looked at Charley with fuming eyes, his fists clenched.  
"I need to talk to you. In private."  
Charley looked at her plate, which wasn't empty yet.  
"I'm having breakfast, we can talk about this la…"  
"_Now_, Charley."

The compelling tone in the human male's voice didn't escape Throttle and he narrowed his eyes behind his glasses when he heard Charley's heartbeat rise.  
Even worse, he could almost smell her cold sweat and for a moment, he felt a pang of regret, maybe even fear.  
Perhaps he'd unleashed pure evil by following Vinnie's advice, but then he realized that was exactly what needed to happen to stop this.  
The young mouse was right, she was never going to tell him if Max was hurting her.  
Because if he was, there was only one way to find out and that was catching him red-handed.  
So, he said nothing and let things run its course, even though it ran counter with who he was.  
But as someone very wise once told him; _'A good tactic is to never use the same tactic. Only then a mouse can be unpredictable. Only then a mouse can be a dangerous opponent.'  
_Charley looked one more time at her plate and heaved a sigh.  
She then looked at the mice and Ben, her green eyes already empty again.  
"If you'll excuse us for now…"

Throttle followed her with his eyes, seeing how she followed Max like a Martian Sheepy Sheep, her shoulders slumped and her head low.  
It was at odds with the strong woman who had build a camp in this broken world, who had given people back a home.  
More to the point; she had created a community that gave people back their hope.  
How on Mars was it possible that Max was able to pull her strings like this?  
Maybe Vinnie was right.  
Maybe it was all a sick mind game.  
That was actually the only thing that made sense right now.  
"Shouldn't we go after her?", Modo asked worriedly when the door closed with a bang.  
"My thoughts exactly, big fella", Throttle answered.  
"Oh yeah, it's hero time", Vinnie smirked and they all three got up, but Ben leaned over the table and grabbed Throttle's arm.  
"No, you can't go after her!"

The tan-furred mouse froze and he looked at the hand on his arm before his gaze landed on Ben's face.  
There was no anger, only despair and maybe even fear readable in his brown eyes.  
"Why not? What do you know?", he asked, his husky voice lower than usual.  
Ben picked up the threatening tone and quickly let go of the Martian Mouse as if he just caught fire, probably remembering their first meeting now.  
"Nothing. I only know that you need to leave them alone."  
His voice had something pleading, and Throttle narrowed his eyes in confusion.  
He too remembered their first meeting, the conversation they had on their first night here, how loyal he had been to Charley when the tan-furred leader had asked him for answers.  
He _cared_ about her.  
So why was he stopping them?  
Because one thing was for sure, Ben knew a lot more than he pretended to know.  
Good people were bad liars, that was nothing more but a fact.  
"Why? What is going on between these two?"  
The human doctor opened his mouth, but then closed it again as he ran a hand through his almost grey hair, clearly conflicted.  
"You care about her, right?", Throttle now asked when it was clear that Ben wasn't gonna answer the previous question.  
"Of course I do. She's like the daughter I never had. And that's why you can't follow them. I'm saying that to protect her."  
"Protect her from what?", Modo now interfered.  
Ben gave him a helpless look.  
"I can't tell. He's gonna kill me if I do, or worse, kill Charley."  
Vinnie placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, looking straight into Ben's eyes.  
"With _he_ you mean Max, I suppose?"  
Ben hesitated, but then nodded in answer and the white-furred mouse got back upright.  
"Not if we kill him first."  
"You don't know what you're saying, he's _dangerous_, no man ever dared to stand up to him…"  
"Well, then it's a good thing we ain't men", Vinnie replied casually, having no shred of fear whatsoever.  
No, hearing all this made him even more determined, as far as that goes.

Modo was staring at Ben with his one eye already glowing red.  
"You knew. You _knew_ and you did _nothing_?", he asked in disbelief, and his cannon popped out of his bionic arm as an automatic response to his anger.  
He probably wasn't even aware of it.  
But Ben was and his eyes grew big as he raised his hands in front of his body.  
"No, please, listen to me, it's far more complicated than you think…"  
But the grey-furred giant didn't budge.  
"You're standing here, claiming that you care about her and yet, you let all of this happen. That ain't complicated. That smells more like a_ coward_ to me…"  
But before things went completely out of control, Throttle intervened.  
"Easy, big fella, we don't wanna make things worse by acting out of emotion. I know how this affects you, it does to all of us, but we don't kill innocent people."  
Because Throttle truly believed that Ben was innocent.  
He probably was just a piece on someone's board.  
But looking into the doctor's eyes, he just knew that Ben was a good man, he felt in every cell of his body.  
And he always trusted on his instinct.  
Modo still stared at Ben, but his cannon went back in his arm with a buzzing sound.  
"I really hate to break up this little tea party, but we're wasting time here", Vinnie broke the loaded silence and for once, he was right.  
Throttle looked at Ben, who was still holding his hands in front of his body and from the sound of it, his heart almost exploded out of his chest.  
"I'm sure you know where we can find them?", the leader of the Biker Mice asked calmly, not having the intention to scare the poor man even more.  
Ben still seemed to be conflicted about what to do, but just when the tan-furred mouse was about to repeat his question a bit more compellingly, the human doctor looked up with determination in his eyes.  
"I'll come with you. This has gone on long enough. Follow me."

**_…_**

Ben pulled on the door that led inside the factory, but apparently, it was locked.  
His skin paled even more, as far as that goes, and he quickly grabbed a bunch of keys out of his pocket.  
Throttle saw that he was having a bit trouble with putting the key in the lock because of his shaking hands and he fought the sudden urge to just blow the door out of his hinges.  
One; that would be very Vinnie like and two; they needed the element of surprise.  
Still, seeing the doctor this nervous made him more than jittery too, but he managed to keep his calm.  
_For now.  
_The door opened with a soft click, but before he pulled it open, Ben looked over his shoulder and held a finger against his lips.  
The three mice nodded in return, to let him know that they got the message.  
They needed to be quiet.  
_Quiet as mice.  
_When they entered the building, Throttle saw that the lights were on in the big hall.  
His eyes immediately flew to the room with the big window and his heart skipped a beat.  
There they were.  
Max was pacing behind the window, waving his arms wildly as he was yelling at Charley, who sat on the couch like a withered Martian CuCu Cucumber.  
Apparently, the room was soundproof, because the tan-furred mouse couldn't hear a word they were saying, not even with his sensitive hearing.

A fit of rage made Throttle's fur bristle when he saw the look on Charley's face, but he took a deep breath to suppress it.  
As he said to Modo, they couldn't act out of emotion, although that seemed to be a bit harder than he thought.  
But he needed to keep it together and approach this like one of their missions.  
Professional and targeted.  
He quickly dove behind one of the machines that was closest to him and his bro's did the same.  
Ben, however, stayed behind a bit lost, not knowing what to do, but then a white-furred tail wrapped around his right wrist and he got pulled down.  
"What are ya doing, man, standing there like that? You might as well give them a call that we're here", Vinnie hissed as he dragged the human doctor next to him.  
Ben's cheeks colored red.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm a doctor, not a soldier! I have no idea how these things work", he whispered back, adjusting his clothes.  
Modo rolled his one eye and shook his head, probably still angry at the man for not standing up for Charley.  
After all, one should _never_ let down a damsel in distress.  
"Then it may be for the best if you stay here, safely hidden before you blow up the mission."  
"No, I want to help. You said it yourself, I knew and I did nothing. I want to make up for that mistake and this is my chance!"  
Of course, not even Modo could argue with logic like that.  
He even admired the fact that the human male had the guts to admit that he was wrong.  
That took a lot of courage, perhaps even more than a soldier would ever possess.

Throttle quickly glanced at the room on the first floor, seeing that things hadn't changed before he looked at Ben.  
"And what is it that you know?"  
The doctor gave him a confused look, probably thinking that the mice were all up to speed already.  
The tan-furred mouse couldn't blame him for thinking that, after all, he couldn't have known that they were acting out of suspicions and not facts.  
"Too much…", he eventually answered with a sigh.  
Throttle clenched his fists in frustration.  
It appeared that this camp wasn't only giving hope.  
It came with a lot of secrets too.  
Dark and dirty secrets.  
The tan-furred leader looked up again and his heart dropped when he saw Max grabbing Charley by the shirt to pull her closer to him, still yelling at her.  
The blank look on Charley's face cut through his soul and his whole body convulsed when another fit of rage rushed through his veins, setting his whole body on fire.  
And suddenly, he wasn't sure how long he was able to contain this unfamiliar feeling.  
This… pure rage.  
_Hatred.  
_"Bro's… I think it's time for us to have a little chat with Max."  
His voice matched his state of mind.  
Low.  
Raw.  
He then looked at Ben, who looked back a bit worried, probably because of this sudden change in behavior.  
"You stay here."  
"But…"  
"_No_. I'm saying this to protect you and the people in this camp. I'm not entirely sure what's gonna happen when we walk into that room and this camp needs its doctor."  
When Ben opened his mouth to protest again, it was Vinnie who cut him off before he got the chance to say another word.  
"What he means is that you're too valuable to die, doc."  
Vinnie always had been more of a direct approach kind of mouse, which had its pros and cons.  
This time, it was definitely a pro, because his words made impact and Ben slumped back against the machine, his eyes wide open as he processed these harsh, but true words.  
But the mice didn't wait for an answer.  
"Let's_ rock_…", Throttle whispered as he gestured his two bro's to follow him.  
"...and _sneak_", they all three finished in unison, Vinnie with disgust written all over his face.

Slowly but steady, they made their way towards the stairs, using the machines as their cover.  
They still needed the element of surprise, after all.  
"Ugh, how much I hate sneaking…", Vinnie muttered under his breath as he pressed his back against the wall and opened the door that led to the stairs with his tail.  
Throttle glanced up one more time, but he couldn't see the two humans from this angle.  
Modo, who was behind him and noticed his leader's hesitation, pushed him through the door.  
Even though they weren't able to see the humans, they didn't know if Max was able to see them, so a hesitation like that could give them away.  
When his two bro's were inside, Vinnie quickly followed them and let go of the door.  
Modo saw it right on time and his tail stopped the door from closing with a loud bang.  
"_Vinnie_!", he hissed with an annoyed look on his face. "We're _sneaking_!"  
"Sorry, sorry, but you guys know I do my best work when we make a _cool_ entrance", the white-furred mouse whispered back, also a bit twitchy.

Throttle hardly noticed all this, because now they were close, he could feel how this unfamiliar anger bubbled closer to the surface and suddenly, there was no time to waste.  
It was his instinct that told him to get his tail into that room pronto, and so he marched up the stairs with a feeling that was the definition of determination.  
Vinnie and Modo were still softly bickering when their leader just marched past them with a face like thunder and they both fell silent as they followed the tan-furred mouse with their eyes.  
They shared a confused look, but it then seemed to dawn upon them that their leader was going in without them and they quickly followed him.  
"I don't know what has gotten into him, but I like his new style", Vinnie snickered as he tiptoed up the stairs.  
After all, it was him who usually pleaded for _'less talk, more booms.'  
_Modo, on the other hand, was a bit less enthusiastic.  
The look on Throttle's face was new for him and truth to be told, it filled his heart with deep apprehension.  
This whole thing with Charley made the tan-furred mouse more than just unstable and Modo suddenly wasn't sure what was going to happen when Throttle would walk into that room.  
This insecurity was new to him because before this, the grey-furred giant used to trust his bro and leader blindly.  
He followed up orders without blinking, simply because he knew that Throttle always tried to do the right thing.  
Modo stared at the tensed back of his tan-furred bro as he followed him up the stairs and he realized he now wasn't so sure about all that, not anymore.  
But there was nothing he could do, right now he had no other choice but to follow his bro and have his back.  
He would always have his back.  
They were bro's.  
Family.  
And brothers didn't turn their back on each other.  
_Never. _

Throttle was completely oblivious to his older bro his worries because right now, all he could think of was that he needed to get into that room.  
The anger was about to take over, he could feel it, and he did everything within his power to fight it.  
To keep it on a leash.  
But how does one control such strong and unknown force?  
Suddenly, deep down, he realized something.  
He had been worried about his bro's reaction when they would find out that Max was hurting Charley.  
About Vinnie, the hot-head of the group, who already attacked Max for a lot less.  
About Modo, the gentle one of the group, whose rage raised to unprecedented levels when one mistreated a lady in his presence.  
But he couldn't have been more wrong.  
He now knew as he walked up that stairs, driven by pure hatred...  
It was _him_ they needed to worry about.

'_Every step that I take is one step closer to the edge and I'm about to break.'_


	13. Chapter 13

Hey, y'all!

Thank you so much for the reviews!  
Well, for most of them, that is ;)

Not much left to say, so, on with the story.  
Feel free to leave a review and thanks for reading my story!

Till next time, my loyal readers.  
Later!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Five more steps to go.  
Four.  
The sound of voices finally reached his ears.  
Three.  
One raw of anger, screaming.  
Two.  
The other one pleading, almost soothing.  
One.

A high beep in Throttle's ears prevented him from hearing the words the voices were saying and if he needed to be honest to himself, he didn't care either.  
Deep down, he knew he needed to stop, to take a moment to listen in order to gather as much information as possible.  
But that would be the sensible way, a path he usually chose to follow.  
But the unadulterated truth was that he was anything but sensible right now.  
He was driven by an unknown but strong force called pure fury which forced him to walk a path he had never walked before.  
It was a path walked by those who had lost control, who had nothing to lose and it scared him to death, because despite everything that was already taken away from him by the Plutarkians, he still had plenty much left to lose.  
He didn't belong on this path and yet, here he was, but there wasn't a thing he could do about it.  
Not anymore.

"Throttle, bro, you need to stop and take a deep breath", Modo tried to reason with his leader and friend, but the tan-furred mouse didn't seem to hear him.  
This, in its turn, made the grey-furred giant a bit annoyed, knowing that things were about to spin out of control right under his nose, but there was nothing that he could do to stop it and his tail lashed through the air to vent some of the frustration without being loud.  
Vinnie, who was close behind him, quickly ducked when he saw that the grey-furred tail was about to slap him in the face.  
"Hey, watch it, man, this pretty face has already suffered enough", he hissed at Modo, ticking a fingernail against the metal mask on the right side of his face, but both his bro's ignored him for many obvious reasons.  
The white-furred mouse pulled a face, but then quickly followed his bro's before he would miss something.  
Because Throttle had now reached the door and without even bothering to try if it was locked, he just lifted his right foot and with an almost ear-deafening creaking, he kicked in the door.

Both Max and Charley looked over their shoulder to see who was responsible for this sudden and violent entrance, Max still holding Charley by her blouse.  
When he saw who came in, he narrowed his eyes, his whole face twisted in anger.  
It made him even more ugly.  
"What part of _'talking in private'_ is so hard for you to understand? Get the fuck outta here, this ain't your business, mouse!", he roared, but Throttle wasn't even close to being impressed.  
His gaze was fixed on Charley's face as he just silently continued his way towards them, and his eyes locked with hers.  
It would be nice to tell that one look into her extraordinary gorgeous eyes made it possible for him to calm down, to handle this situation with a bit more subtlety, but this wasn't a fairy tale.  
There was no _happily ever after_ for those who were already trouble minded by war.  
Everyone reached its breaking point, that horrific point of no return.  
No exception and no matter the reason.

Throttle wasn't exactly aware of the fact that he was very close to that point now, all he could think of was that Max needed to get his filthy hands off of Charley. When he was within reach, Max lashed out with his free hand, probably as an attempt to punch the tan-furred mouse in the face.  
But even though he might be army, Throttle was a well-trained Freedom Fighter and therefore, he saw Max his move coming from miles away already.  
With that knowledge, it was now time to act and he grabbed the human male's wrist in an iron grip right before impact.  
The surprised look on Max his face told Throttle that he, in turn, didn't see this one coming and he almost rolled his eyes behind his customized specs.  
_Army.  
_They were the same on every planet.

"This is as far as you can go. You let the lady go, now", the tan-furred mouse growled, hardly recognizing his own voice.  
Perhaps it was because he still had this annoying high beep in his ears.  
Perhaps it was because his anger grew even bigger when he now saw the cut in Charley's lip.  
"You better do as he says. Or we make you…", Vinnie added with a low voice, now standing right behind Throttle to literally have his back, his fur bristled and being deadly serious.  
"And not very polity", Modo finished the threat, popping up behind Vinnie with his eye glowing red, his worries about Throttle already forgotten from the moment he saw what was going on here.

Max his face darkened even more, his skin was now almost purple and the throbbing vein in his forehead looked like it was gonna explode any minute now.  
Throttle saw how he opened his mouth, but he didn't give him the time to say whatever it was he wanted to say for he was still holding Charley.  
And even if it were only five seconds that had passed since they demanded to let Charley go, it were five seconds too long.  
So he tightened his grip around Max his wrist and with a loud knack, he broke the bone like it was nothing more but a dried twig of a dying Martian Piny Pinetree.  
The sound was sickening, the feeling probably even beyond that and Max let out a blood-curdling scream.  
The pain made him slacken his grip around Charley's blouse and she quickly did a few steps backward, her green eyes wide open in shock.

Max fell on his knees as he stared at his right hand, which was now bowed in an unnatural way, wailing in pain.  
"Jesus! Look what you did, you stupid mouse! You broke my arm!", he moaned as he rocked back and forth, for a moment his bravado nowhere to be found.  
It was both cruel and interesting what pain could do to the most hardened people, it was able to take away the shields they so carefully hid behind.  
Throttle grabbed Max by his shirt and lifted him, his hand trembling in anger.  
"You should've listened when you had the chance."  
"You didn't even _give_ me a chance!"  
"Yeah, well, you snooze, you lose", the tan-furred mouse spat out and he quickly threw the human male towards Modo before he would really lose his mind and kill him right here, right now.

Modo easily caught him and Throttle now looked at Charley, who was standing at the other side of the room, her eyes still wide open.  
It was the look on her face that made him able to fight this consuming anger, simply because he didn't want her to be scared of him like she was for Max.  
It was very important that she knew he was different, even though it may look like he wasn't at this point.  
"Are you okay?", he asked, his voice a bit calmer now, but from the inside, the anger was still whirling like a meteor storm.  
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine…", she eventually managed to bring out, shock still written on her face.  
She looked at Max, who was almost dangling in Modo's grip, hardly able to stand on his feet as he still moaned in pain.  
"What are you gonna do with him?"  
Throttle didn't miss the fearful and worried undertone, but he shrugged as he ran a trembling hand through his hair, still fighting to control himself.  
"I guess that's up to you."  
Despite everything, he knew it was.  
Seeing her, knowing that she was safe now made him able to build a little bridge back to the path of wisdom, even though it was a small and unstable one.  
But it was there and after a small hesitation, he took the first wobbly steps.  
For her.

In the meantime, Max now slowly seemed to realize what was happening and he lifted his head to look at Charley with fuming eyes.  
"Charley, this is _insane_! Look what he did to me! Tell them to let me go!"  
Charley stared at him as she lifted her hand and touched the cut in her lip.  
She then looked down and after watching the blood on her finger for a while, she slowly shook her head.  
"No…"  
Max his eyes grew big when he heard that whisper in the wind and he finally found the strength to get back on his feet.  
"What?"  
She now moved her gaze from the blood back to him.  
"I said no", she repeated, her voice now louder and more steady.  
The anger on Max's face vanished like smoke in the wind, making him look like he was about ten years younger all of a sudden.  
It got replaced by sadness mixed with a hint of panic.  
"I'm sorry, baby, you know I am… Please, tell them to let me go. I never meant to hurt you, I never do, you know that... I promise you it won't happen again, but please… give me another chance to prove it."  
His plea filled the whole room with pain and agony, but Vinnie snorted loudly in response as he folded his arms, not touched by it at all.  
"Yeah, right", he muttered under his breath, but Throttle gave him a warning look.  
Not because he didn't agree with his younger bro, on the contrary, but because he knew this decision had to made by Charley and by Charley alone.

For a moment, it looked like Charley was gonna give in, but when she heard Vinnie's disbelief and disgust, something suddenly changed in her eyes and she shook her head.  
"No. Your promises mean nothing to me, not anymore…"  
Max stopped struggling and even his eyes now filled with tears.  
He looked so much different now, Throttle realized.  
Maybe this was the real Max, the one who wasn't marked by his experiences.  
On the other hand, it could still be an attempt to wriggle out of his plight, but either way, it was one hell of a performance.  
One that he hoped Charley wouldn't fall for.  
He sure as hell didn't.  
"I know I fucked up, trust me I know, and you already gave me more chances than I've ever deserved, but please… just one more. One last chance is all I ask…"  
Charley didn't respond, it looked like she was deep in thought and Throttle shifted his weight to his other foot, his hands still itching to stop Max from talking.  
Hearing him say all this confirmed that awful nagging hunch, though.  
They loved each other once.  
That made him more than just sick to the stomach, but he quickly stopped himself from making further assumptions.  
Maybe they loved each other once.  
But did they still do?  
Did _she_ still do?  
Only one way to find out and that was to continue his way on the unstable bridge without looking back.  
Anger wasn't gonna give him the answers he needed.  
Wisdom and patience did.

"Please, baby… I love you…", Max whispered as a tear left his right eye.  
Throttle's stomach made a few backflips, but the words seemed to have the same impact on Charley, because her head jerked up and now it were her eyes that were fuming in anger.  
She did a few steps forward as she lifted her hand, showing Max the blood on her fingers,  
"This isn't love, Max. This is possession."  
Without giving the human male time to react, she looked at Modo.  
"Take him to the bomb shelter in the garage. He can stay there until I figure out what I wanna do with him."  
The firm tone in her voice was back and Throttle was finally able to relax a little.  
He'd made the right decision by following up Vinnie's advice.  
Not just that, he'd managed to stop himself from killing Max right after walking into this room.  
He was already midway across the bridge back to the right path without doing something from which he knew he would really regret later on.  
And finally, for the first time ever since they set foot on this ridiculous planet, he felt back in control.  
Unfortunately, fate seemed to have other plans.  
And no one could hide from destiny.  
Not even him.

Max was still hanging in Modo's firm grip, looking more defeated than ever.  
But Charley's words now made its way to his brain and the transforming was shocking to say at least.  
His head jerked up, his face warped into a bizarre grimace of anger and hate and before Modo could do as he was told by Charley, Max jumped back on his feet.  
"You're making a big mistake here, if you think you can lead me to my own death like a lamb to slaughter. If I'm going, I'm taking you with me!"  
As being well-trained Freedom Fighters, the mice knew how to react fast on a quickly turning and escalating situation, but even their great reflexes were no match for this sudden turn of events.  
A knife slid out of Max his sleeve, right into his not wounded hand and before Modo could process it, the knife was already in his arm.  
Since he was holding the human male with his flesh and now wounded arm, he had no other choice but to let go as a groan escaped his lips.  
As mentioned before, pain could even slow down the most toughened warriors and tough he was without question.  
But the pain forced him to slacken both his grip and his attention and even if it was only for a split second, it was all that Max needed.  
The human male had already pulled the knife out of Modo's arm again and now made its way towards Charley, still with that gruesome mask of insanity.  
"You belong to me and no one else, you filthy slut!", he roared as he jumped over one of the couches.

Time seemed to slow down, or maybe it even stopped ticking, Throttle had no idea.  
He was about to take the last few steps on the bridge that led to the path he was so familiar with, but the already fragile construction collapsed under his feet when he saw how Max ran towards Charley with a knife in his hand that was covered in his bro's blood.  
And instead of getting back on the path of wisdom or pure fury, he just fell into a deep dark hole.  
The speed at which he fell down gave this weird pressure on his head which in turn caused a vicious headache and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, something clicked and his head just became empty.  
Gone was the fear of the unknown.  
Gone was the anxiety of having no control.  
There was only darkness at the point of no return.  
"Vincent, share the glory maneuver number eight, now!", he ordered with an ice-cold voice as he jumped between Max and Charley.  
Vinnie immediately obeyed, even without making a snappy line and he used his tail to snatch the gun out of his ankle holster.  
In one smooth movement, he threw it towards his leader, who caught it with the greatest of ease.  
Looking straight into the brown eyes of Max, who was still on a warpath to destruction, he aimed the gun, still feeling nothing but this cold darkness inside of him.  
And with a steady hand and with no slightest doubt or remorse, Throttle pulled the trigger.

The laser beam went straight through Max his head, making the back of his skull explode with a rain of blood and pieces of tissue and brain.  
Vinnie, who was standing right behind Max, was just in time to avoid the laser beam from going through his head too, but unfortunately, that didn't apply for the gruesome shower that followed.  
He tried to contain the damage by covering his head with his arms, but it was no use and within seconds, his usual snow-white fur was now covered with blood, so were his clothes.  
"Oh, man!", he called out as he looked at his clothes and fur with disgust written all over his face.  
"Yuck! I probably have to burn this now! Can't walk around with Max following me everywhere I go, now can I? Ugh… And it's my best outfit too."  
"Not to mention your _only_ outfit…", Modo groaned.  
The sound of his voice brought Vinnie back to reality and he quickly ran towards Modo, his clothes already forgotten for now.  
The latter was sitting on his knees now, holding the wound in his arm with his teeth clenched and a glowing eye.  
"Modo, Modo, bro, you okay?", the young mouse asked worriedly as he skidded to a halt next to his older bro, almost slipping because of all the blood that was on the floor.  
Luckily, he managed to stay on his feet, otherwise he would've fallen right in Modo's lap and something was telling him that the grey-furred giant wasn't going to appreciate that.  
But it was just a thought.  
When he saw the blood that now leaked between the bionic fingers, he felt another pang of worry, but before he, or Modo for that matter, could react, another scream made him almost jump out of his fur.

With his ears still ringing, he quickly looked over his shoulder, only to see how Charley threw herself on Max, who was now lying on his back in the middle of the room, being deader than dead.  
"No, no, oh god, Max, no… I'm so sorry...", she cried as she laid her head on his chest, holding his sweater with so much strength that the usual pink skin around her knuckles was now as white as Vinnie's fur.  
Well, on a good day, that is.  
The white-furred mouse, or maybe better said, the white with red spots-furred mouse glanced at his bro and leader, expecting him to say or do something, but the tan-furred mouse was still standing at the exact same spot, with the still smoking clamped in his with leather fingerless gloves covered hands.  
The look on Throttle's face was one Vinnie hadn't seen before and he wasn't sure if he either needed to be worried or impressed.  
He had always believed that Throttle should loosen up from time to time, but this was the other extreme.  
It was that he was no mouse to frighten easily, otherwise the cold and calculated look on his bro's face might have done the trick.  
Now it was still the spider who had that privilege.  
Either way, it was a nice shot and that piece of shit had it coming, big time.  
Vinnie just wasn't sure if Throttle would agree with him once he decided to come back here, on Earth, for it was obvious that the tan-furred mouse was completely elsewhere with his mind.

His gaze wandered back to Charley, who was still sobbing on Max his chest, her eyes closed as tears dripped on the black sweater, mixing with the blood that was already there.  
And even though he hated Max his guts, he still felt very sorry for her when he saw how sad she was.  
Maybe he should try to comfort her?  
Like… he could sing her a song...  
Or pull her in a warm and soothing hug...  
Or tell her there were still more than plenty enough guys out there who -unlike Max- did deserve her, like him, for example…  
Or maybe he should just skip the talking part and blow her away with his amazing kissing skills.  
Nevertheless, this could be a great opening for him.  
But something stopped him.  
Max his not so tragic death was on them, after all.  
Even though it was Throttle who pulled the trigger, they were a team and therefore, the responsibility rested on all three of their muscular shoulders.  
And truth to be told, Vinnie had no idea if this action was valued by Charley.  
From the looks of things, it wasn't, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time that he misinterpreted the signs given by womankind.  
Not that he would ever say it out loud, but in his humble opinion, women were the most complicated creatures ever made by whoever was responsible for creating this crazy world.  
Still, complicated or not, this world would be empty and frigging boring without them.  
Besides, he may be a mouse who was willing to go far to get into a lady's pants, he wasn't one who took advantage of an emotionally unstable one.  
Even he knew that was a line that wasn't meant to be crossed.  
And then there was Throttle…  
That complicated things even more.

So, because of these facts and -maybe even more important- in order to avoid a nasty and embarrassing rejection that might bruise his beloved ego, he focussed his attention back on Modo as he reached into the pocket of his now blood-stained pants.  
After a brief search, he pulled out a grey bandana.  
"Here. Matches the fur", he partially joked as he handed over the piece of fabric, knowing that the grey-furred giant wanted to wrap it around his arm himself.  
It was not so much that Modo had an ego standing in the way of accepting his young bro's help, but like all male mice, he owned a healthy portion of manly pride.  
A thing Vinnie knew all too well.  
Some would say a little bit _too_ well.  
"Thanks", Modo grumbled as he took the bandana and with a little help of his buck teeth, he managed to tie it around his arm by himself, his eye still glowing red.  
He was clearly not amused, but who was?  
This whole situation was a mess, literally and figuratively, even Vinnie knew that, being the one who was covered with little pieces of Max.  
Still, he felt nothing more but satisfaction while looking at Max -who looked way better now he was dead, by the way- but it came with the nagging feeling he was the only one.  
Something with a bigger picture and all.

Meanwhile, Throttle was still sort of caught up in this darkness that made him do all this.  
He vaguely heard Vinnie's high-pitched voice, but it was as if he was in another room.  
It sounded dull and only small parts were translated by his brain, but the words didn't make any sense.  
The sound of someone crying now joined in, but it still wasn't enough to bring him back to reality.  
It was the comforting sound of Ben's voice who did the trick.  
"Is everything okay here, I heard a shot and… _oh_…"  
Throttle blinked a few times, surprised that it was the voice of this man, one he hardly knew, that gave him just the strength he needed to slowly climb out of this deep and black hole.  
But there was something strangely familiar about this particular sound and it suddenly hit him like a meteor.  
It reminded him of his father's voice.  
Suddenly and without any warning, he was back in the room, his vision sharper than ever, his hearing better than ever and his brain more aware of his body than ever.  
His gaze landed on the gun in his hands and he quickly let it go like it was on fire.  
The thump with which the object landed on the floor sounded like a gunshot so loud, but he was able to stop himself from flinching as he took in the scene in front of him.

Closeby the door sat Modo, his knees resting on the blood-smeared floor, with a bandana wrapped around his flesh arm.  
By the looks of things, the piece of fabric used to be grey, but it was now colored dark-red by blood.  
The look on his face spoke volumes, telling Throttle that the grey-furred giant was plagued by both anger and guilt for letting this happen and for the sake of simplicity, the fact that Max has used a big knife to get away already forgotten.  
The big lug always had been a bit too harsh on himself, a quality that came with being responsible.  
It was all too familiar.  
Vinnie was standing next to him, his fur and clothes stained with blood, pulling off his bandoliers and black hoodie with disgust written all over his face as he softly cursed under his breath.  
The poor guy had obviously been standing in the wrong place at the wrong time and if the situation wasn't as fucked up as it was, it might have been funny.  
Ben already kneeled next to Modo to take a look at the wound with a very serious look on his face, but the grey-furred giant stopped him and pointed at Charley.  
As Ben looked into the direction Modo pointed at, Throttle did the same.

The human female was sitting on her knees next to Max his now dead body as tears streamed down her beautiful face.  
She was smoothing out his hair, that was wet from blood, as if she was trying to make him look less dead.  
Because he was dead, alright.  
There was a perfect and small hole right between his brown eyes which were now glassy and empty as they stared at the ceiling.  
A hole created by the laser coming from the gun _he_ had fired.  
Throttle knew enough about laser to know that even though the entry wound was small and neat, the exit wound was a whole other story and the gruesome scene in front of him only confirmed that theory.  
But it wasn't the bloody sight that made him feel nauseous, no, it was the pain he now saw in Charley's eyes.  
It was hearing her whispering the word_ 'sorry' _over and over again and he now knew that Vinnie was right.  
Despite everything, she still loved him.  
And _he_ had killed him.

Throttle expected to feel guilt or remorse, but strangely enough, he didn't.  
The gleam he had seen in Max his eyes right before pulling the trigger had told him that the guy had been too far gone.  
Maybe deep down, thoroughly hidden, there might have been something good inside of him, the part from which he assumed Charley had fallen in love with.  
But that part was eclipsed by pure darkness and Throttle knew, he felt it in every fiber of his body, that one day, that part would've killed Charley.  
Maybe she wasn't able to see that, but he was.  
Crystal clear.  
And therefore, he knew he'd made the right decision.  
Still, the manner in which he had acted was more than terrifying to say at least.  
But right now, he pushed it all aside and he forced himself to get into movement.

Careful that he wouldn't slip on the bloody floor, he made his way towards his bro's and he kneeled next to Modo.  
"You okay, bro?", he asked, his voice finally back to its normal tone and volume.  
Modo looked at him with a guilt-ridden look on his face.  
"I'm sorry, bro, he beat me to the punch…"  
Throttle laid his hand on his shoulder.  
"Nah. This isn't your fault, Modo. He beat us _all_ to the punch. Not even our velocity atrocity saw it coming."  
"Hey, I only missed it because I was looking the other way", Vinnie protested as if on que and Throttle gave Modo a meaningful, but reassuring smile.  
"See? It happens to the best. How's your arm?"  
"Like someone stuck a knife in it."  
"Figured."

Silence dawned on them as Throttle now looked at Ben, who was by the looks of things conflicted if he needed to go over to Charley and comfort her or to leave her alone with her grief for now.  
The tan-furred mouse glanced at the heartbreaking scene too, but he still felt no regret.  
Only a gnawing fear that she would blame him for this, that she was going to push him away.  
She might even hate him for this.  
Still, the fact that he knew she was relatively safe now, that he freed her from Max his possessive and restraining claws was good enough for him.  
Because one thing became very clear by this crazy and terrifying event.  
There wasn't anything in this world that he wouldn't do for her.  
And if she thought that was shocking, he would totally agree with her.  
Because there was no one, absolutely no one, who was able to trigger particular parts of him -parts from which he didn't even know he had them in him- the way she did.  
He could only hope that she would give him the chance to explain himself, just as he hoped that she would give him some answers as well.

Throttle looked back at Ben and made the decision for the still conflicted doctor.  
"Can you please take a look at Modo's wound?", he asked as he rose back on his feet. Ben followed him with his eyes and Throttle was relieved when he didn't see any form of fear or anger looking back at him.  
He somehow wanted the human male to like him, a thing he usually didn't care for.  
But this man reminded him of his father and it felt like a second chance.  
To have something back from which he thought he'd lost it forever.  
Ben nodded in answer and Throttle took a deep breath before slowly approaching Charley.  
She didn't look up when he kneeled across her, the body of Max now lying between them and the tan-furred mouse couldn't ignore the irony here.  
Even in death, Max was still standing between them.  
If there was such a thing as Earthly Heaven, the guy was probably looking down on them while laughing his head off.  
Time.  
Time was all they needed.  
If she was able to forgive him, that is.

"Charley…"  
She still didn't look up, her swollen eyes were still fixed on Max his face and Throttle suddenly wasn't so sure anymore if he'd made the right choice.  
He'd never seen anyone looking this lost and that was saying something for he lived in a war zone for many years already.  
The insecurity gnawed on his insides, making him more than just restless and he _hated_ it.  
Hated it that he was this unstable.  
It made him feel homesick like never before.  
Things on Mars hadn't been easy, but at least he knew who he was, back then.  
Here… not so much.  
But just when his mind was about to convince him that he had lost her forever, Charley slowly looked up, straight into his behind glasses hidden bionic eyes.  
The look on her face made him even more confused, but the words that came over her lips, however, were very clear.  
"Thank you…"


	14. Chapter 14

Hey you guys!

Thank you so much for the reviews!  
I guess we're all very happy that Max is gone, hehe.

And now, the aftermath.  
The idea was to write that in one chapter, but of course, that failed.  
So I decided to cut it in half, otherwise, the chapter would've been way too long.

So here's the first part.  
Hope you guys like it.

Feel free to leave a review and thanks for reading my story.  
Later dudes!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

'_Picking up the pieces, now where to begin…  
__The hardest part of ending is starting again.'_

The frown was gone.  
Her green eyes were reflecting her pain for that's what eyes did.  
They were a mirror of the soul.  
But the frown was gone.

Charley's words echoed in his head, her voice sounding even more beautiful by every fading word.  
_Thank you…  
_Throttle suddenly realized how easy it was to breathe.  
How his body now felt as light as a feather that was dancing in the wind.  
A feather that had surrendered to its fate, letting the warm breeze take it to wherever its destiny was.  
A warm and soft light chased away the remaining darkness in his head.  
That's what her words did to him.  
They accomplished something that he thought he had lost forever ever since that awful day on Mars.  
_Hope.  
_He felt hope.

Without thinking, he slowly lifted his hand.  
Everything felt so light, almost weightless.  
He reached out to her, already feeling her warmth under his fingers.  
And in the most gentle way, he wiped away a tear from her cheek.  
The warm drop shattered under his touch and scattered throughout the tiny little tan-colored hairs on his thumb.  
It caused a tingle more intense than he had ever felt before and it soon spread through his body like wildfire, chasing away that horrible and consuming anger.  
As if a small piece of her soul now blended in with his.  
Maybe it did.  
He had no idea.  
All he knew was that she gave him hope.

"Throttle?"  
The soft and comforting sound of Ben's voice broke him out his trance and he blinked a few times before he looked over his shoulder.  
The human doctor pointed at Modo's arm.  
"Despite your ability to heal fast, this is gonna need some stitches. I need to take him to the infirmary as soon as possible before the wound starts to heal without a good clean up. That could cause some nasty infections."  
There was a slight hesitation hearable in Ben's voice, and while he was talking, his eyes kept flying into Charley's direction.  
He was worried about her, Throttle realized.  
He wanted to be there for her, simply because he cared about her.  
Apparently, Charley saw it too, because she gave him a sad, but reassuring smile.  
"It's okay, Ben, I'll be fine. Go."  
"I'll stay here and keep an eye on her", Throttle added when he saw that Ben still wasn't entirely convinced.  
The doc gave him a meaningful, perhaps even warning look and Throttle nodded in return to tell him he got the message.  
He would keep her safe at all costs.  
Max his dead body was the proof that he would.

The tan-furred mouse then looked at Vinnie, who was now only wearing a black tank top at top of his with blood-stained pants.  
The hoodie had taken most of the blood, but still, it wasn't a pretty sight.  
"You go with them, Vincent. I'm sure you can use a little fresh up."  
"Wait, you mean you don't like my new look?", the white-furred mouse asked innocently as he flashed his eyes, but the pressing silence that followed along with the deadly glare Throttle gave him made him realize now wasn't the time for jokes and he raised his hands.  
"Okay, okay, too soon, I get it."  
Ben shook his head as he helped Modo back on his feet, which was nothing more but pro-forma given the fact that the grey-furred giant was about twice his size.  
But the intentions were good.  
"Come on, let's get you both cleaned up. Maybe I can find some clean clothes that fit you, Vincent. I'm afraid this outfit is ruined."  
"And here I was, thinking that bloody with chopped human was the latest fashion", Vinnie blurted out before he could stop himself, as usual skipping the part where a normal person would think before speaking.  
Modo heaved a sigh and grabbed his young bro by the neck.  
"Come on, Mister _'It's All About The Looks'_, let's go, before someone else gets hurt."  
And after giving Charley an apologetic look, the grey-furred giant pushed Vinnie through the door.  
Or well, what was left of it.  
Ben looked over his shoulder one last time, and when Charley gave him a nod to tell him it really was okay, he too left the room.

Throttle looked back at Charley, who was already staring at Max his face again.  
"I'm sorry. I'm afraid he fell on his head when he was a baby. It's the only explanation I can come up with why the link between his brain and his mouth is not working the way it should be. Believe it or not, he means well."  
_Unlike others.  
_The unspoken words lingered between them, in the air that was now already riddled with the horrendous smell of death.  
Suddenly, Charley put a hand in front of her mouth, as if she just now realized what had happened and burst into tears again.  
"Oh god, Max…"  
She looked up at Throttle with watery eyes and lowered her hand.  
"You must think I'm stupid, crying over him…"  
But the tan-furred mouse calmly shook his head.  
"You loved him", he simply stated.  
It didn't make him sick anymore.  
Because the frown was gone.  
So was Max.  
That was all that mattered for now.

Charley looked down again and rubbed away a drop of blood that was on Max's cheek.  
"I did. Does that make me crazy?"  
"Maybe. But someone very wise once told me that the best people are."  
Her lips curled into a sad smile, but it soon faded again.  
"He wasn't a bad person. I know it looked like he was, but he wasn't. It's just… in this world… everything is upside down or something. We found each other in chaos and destruction and we needed each other to get through it all, you know. We held each other up…"  
Throttle said nothing, he did not even mention the fact that this sounded somehow familiar.  
For now, he would just let her talk.  
It was obvious that she wanted to get it all out and it was no secret that he was anxious to hear her point of view.  
So, he made himself comfortable -as far as that goes with a dead body lying between you and your interlocutor- and gave her an encouraging nod.

"It's hard to describe what it did to me when I saw the destruction after the invasion. Even though I was determined to stay alive, I had no idea how and truth to be told, hope was in real short supply at that point. Still, when Max and his team found me, I refused to come with them. I couldn't leave my home behind, my home that's filled with memories, both good and bad. The fact that it was still standing seemed to be a sign and I was determined to find out what the universe had in store for me. Max apparently saw something in me. A certain spirit, he told me later on. A spirit he hadn't seen in a long time. He already knew how fucked up the world was, even before the fish set foot on this planet. He was a soldier. So are you, so I don't need to tell you how horrific the things are that one sees in war…"  
No, she didn't need to tell him.  
He was more than aware of that fact.  
Unfortunate, but true.

"He believed in me. So, he decided to stay. We grew closer to each other, especially when we found out that there was nobody out there who could save us. The world we once knew was gone and the only thing that kept us going was each other. We both had something back that was worth fighting for. Nothing bonds better than an apocalypse", she added a bit sarcastic with the hint of a smile on her beautiful face.  
_Or war.  
_The image of Carbine flashed before Throttle's eyes.  
Her brown eyes that were so familiar and safe to look into.  
He blinked a few times and the image slowly deformed.  
Now it were green eyes he looked into and he quickly turned his gaze away, a bit taken back by this teasing game that his brain was playing with him.  
Charley didn't seem to notice, she was clearly sucked back in time, a thing Throttle was grateful for.  
Now wasn't the time for ghosts of his own past.  
He was here for her.  
And he could only be there for her if he was really _here_.  
So, he gave himself a mental shake and focused his attention back on the thing that mattered the most now.  
And that was Charley.

"But he was so… trouble minded by his experiences. And who could blame him for it? He'd seen some very disturbing things. Not that he ever talked about it, but I just knew. I'm not stupid. War is gruesome. It destroys people from the inside out. He was one of those people. He was a broken man. Still, I needed him by my side."  
"He gave you hope."  
It was nothing more but a statement.  
She looked up a bit surprised.  
"Yeah… Strangely enough, he did. It was only a few months after we met that he showed me his other side, but I was already used to have him standing next to me. I wasn't sure if I could do all this on my own and so, I gave him chance after chance. Every time when he promised me it wouldn't happen again I believed him, simply because I knew he meant it. He just couldn't live up to it… God, listen to me, trying to justify his actions. I know what he did was wrong. I just… I dunno…"  
She fiddled with Max's sweater, searching for words to explain herself, but Throttle already understood.  
And now, it was time to tell her that she wasn't alone.  
That he wouldn't judge her.  
He was the last one who had the right to judge.

"I get it. Like you said, this world is upside down. Nothing makes sense anymore, and with nothing, I mean absolutely nothing. Boundaries fade, so does the line between good and bad, until you don't even know what good and bad means anymore. You hold onto things that you know aren't good for you, and yet, you're scared to let it go because it's the only thing that _does_ make sense. Because letting it go is both scary and difficult, maybe even impossible for you have no idea how to move forward without this familiar part of you. It's like throwing yourself into a deep black pit without knowing if the ladder is long enough to get you out again."  
Charley stared at him and he could see that his words affected her deeply.  
If he had to guess, it was because he might be the first one who really understood.  
He knew how easy and tempting it was to only see someone's bad side, but no one ever said that judging people without really knowing them or their experiences was fair or righteous.  
It was so important to look further, to not judge a book by its cover, but only after reading it from A till Z and then alone.  
Unfortunately, most of the people didn't take the time to read, that he knew.  
But he did.  
He always did.  
Still, it didn't justify Max his actions, oh no… it _only_ made them _understandable. _

"You sound like someone who's been there too…"  
Throttle chuckled, although it wasn't because he thought what she said was funny.  
No, on the contrary.  
It was because she was right.  
Well, at least very close to the truth and his smile vanished like smoke in the wind as the familiar pain crawled back into his heart and soul.  
"Sort of. Let's just say that I too held something close to me that wasn't healthy. It was different though."  
She seemed to understand what he was trying to say.  
"You don't have to physically abuse someone to hurt them. Words can be like knives too, maybe even worse."  
"I know."  
"Do you… do you wanna tell me about her?", she asked a bit hesitant and he looked into her beautiful green eyes.  
Her sad eyes.  
"Maybe one day I will."  
Silence dawned on them and they were both caught up in their own thoughts for a little while.  
Throttle couldn't stop himself but wonder if Carbine might be still alive.  
She had always been a fighter, so was Stoker, so it wouldn't exactly be shocking if they had managed to survive, somehow.  
The more burning question here was; what would he do if she was?

Luckily, Charley broke him out of his thoughts before he could answer that question, a thing he was fine with.  
There was only so much he could take and the last couple of days had been rough on him.  
Worrying about Carbine didn't exactly make things better.  
It only made it worse.  
He knew he was running just as much as he knew that he couldn't flee from this.  
It always followed him, no matter how hard he ran.  
But sometimes life forced him to it.  
"Still, I didn't lie when I told you that Max did a lot for this camp. It really is the truth that this camp wouldn't have been here without his help. The people respect him. They have no idea what was going on between us, we kept it behind closed doors. He needs to have a proper funeral. The people in this camp need to get the chance to say goodbye."  
Throttle reached out and gently laid his hand on hers.  
"You can do whatever you want, Charley. You're free now."  
She nodded a bit dazed.  
"Yeah… I guess I am…"

After a small hesitation, Charley laid one hand on his.  
"Thank you. For saving me. For saving him from himself. For understanding. No matter how much it hurts, I feel a certain weightlessness. But at the same time, there's this emptiness… I'm scared, Throttle. I'm not sure if I'm able to do this without him…"  
Her whole appearance radiated helplessness and the tan-furred mouse squeezed in her hand to comfort her.  
"You're not alone, Charley. As much as I'd love to say that I'm sorry for killing him, I can't. Because that would be a lie and I can't lie to you. Despite his experiences, he was a bad man. He was only holding you back, even though that is hard for you to see right now. What I can do, is promise you that I'll help you to get through this. I'll help to let you see you can do this without him because I know you can. I believe in you, so does my bro's. And time will heal your wounds, trust me."  
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.  
"I do. I do trust you, even though I hardly know you. A strange given in the world we live in now, that I know. But it sometimes feels like I do already know you... "  
Throttle's heart made a little jump and he gave her a warm smile.  
"I feel the same way…"

But the pain was still there.  
He saw it in her eyes.  
He felt it too, because he knew how difficult it was to cut loose from that one thing that's keeping you together, no matter what that person had done to you.  
It was all too familiar.  
And even though he didn't want it, the pain he felt was intrinsically linked with Carbine.  
_Ah man, Carbine…  
_How much he had loved her.  
Maybe he still did.  
But she was like poison.  
An unhealthy addiction.  
He once thought she was the one for him.  
But, no matter how painful, he knew she wasn't.

'_In the end, we were made to be apart...  
__Like separate chambers of the human heart…'_

_**…**_

Meanwhile, when Modo, Vinnie and Ben left the building, the grey-furred giant set course to Sleepy Park, but Ben stopped him.  
"It's the other way."  
"Huh? But I thought the infirmary was back at the tents?", Modo asked confused, suddenly doubting his own memory.  
Maybe he'd lost more blood than he thought in the first place, but thinking back to their first night, he was pretty sure that it was in one of the tents where Ben had patched Vinnie up.  
"One of the two, yes. But I used all my silk on your friend here and I haven't been able to replenish the supply. The last few days have been a bit..._ chaotic_, I'm afraid", Ben explained as he walked the other way, gesturing the two mice to follow him.  
"Why on Mars would you need two infirmary's?", Vinnie asked a bit confused as he plucked an indefinable and squishy piece out of the now greasy fur on his arm. After studying it for a while with disgust written all over his face, he shot it away with his thumb and index finger, but it accidentally ended up on Ben's back.  
_Oops._

"Because as a doctor, it's my duty to be prepared for anything. That includes a possible outbreak of diseases ", Ben answered his question, unaware that a piece of Max -probably his brain- was now stuck to his sweater.  
Vinnie hastily quickened his pace to close the gap between him and Ben, not really listening to what the doc was telling him, determined to remove the tissue before the doctor would even notice it was there.  
He may not know much about humans, but something was telling him that they wouldn't like walking around with a piece of its fellow human being sticking to its clothes.  
"I can use this one as quarantine if necessary, but luckily, that day has not come yet. Still, proper preparation pays off, that's something I've learned in the past."  
As he was talking, he stopped in front of another building and Vinnie almost bumped into him because he was now so close behind him, but he stopped right in time.  
Ben still didn't notice and he grabbed his keys.  
"But till that day, I use this building as a lab and storage of the medical supplies we've found on recon."  
That took Vinnie's attention and he froze right before he could pluck the gory piece off of Ben's back.  
Now, his hand just floated uselessly in the air as he processed the words.  
"Did you just say lab?"

Ben suddenly turned around and the white-furred mouse quickly put his hands behind his back as he did a few steps backward, trying to look as innocent as possible.  
The human gave him an investigative look but then nodded.  
"Yes, a lab. I figure you know what that is?", he asked, probably referring to Vinnie's violent reaction when Max compared them with lab mice.  
Vinnie's face darkened and the tip of his tail started to dance like the fur of a Martian Wooly Wolf in the wind.  
"Oh, I know what it is, alright", he answered as he touched his metal mask absent-mindedly, for a moment sucked back in time.  
Ben pointed at it.  
"Is that where you got that?"  
"No. It's where I got the thing I hide underneath it", the white-furred mouse answered shortly and he quickly changed the subject.  
"So, you gonna let us in or do we wait till Modo bleeds to death? You know that's gonna take like forever, right? I mean, look at him. He's a tank."  
Modo snorted at that comment and Vinnie looked up at his older bro with twinkling eyes.  
"What? You really should take that as a compliment, big fella."  
"And how am supposed to do that, huh? You never give compliments to others but yourself", Modo replied dryly.  
"Well, no, but I _luh-ove_ tanks. In a macho kinda way, of course", he hastily added when he realized what he just said.  
"Of course."  
"Yeah, man. I mean, those things can do some serious damage alright, so what's not to love?"  
"Kinda like you, you mean?"

It wasn't exactly meant as a compliment, but someone should tell Vinnie that, because his face lit up and Modo heaved a sigh, now realizing this would only flatter Vinnie's ego instead of bruising it.  
There was only one mouse in this entire universe who was this proud of his ability to destroy about anything that came on his path and he was now standing right next to Modo.  
"Exactly! You see? A compliment."  
"Who can fight logic like that?", Modo muttered under his breath, but he wasn't exactly surprised.  
Loving tanks as much as he did himself, it wasn't exactly shocking that in Vinnie's world, calling him a tank was -indeed- a compliment.  
That boy needed a serious lecture on the significance of humility, but Modo decided that he wasn't the right mouse for the job.  
Not now, that is.  
Besides, the white-furred mouse was probably too far gone already.  
"You guys really are something, huh?", Ben chuckled and he turned around to open the door, shaking his head in amusement.  
For a moment, the serious look on his face was nowhere to be found, the one that was chiseled on his face ever since that moment he'd walked into that room in the factory.  
"Oh, you don't know the half of it, doc", Vinnie smiled arrogantly and he quickly brushed away the little piece of brain without him noticing.  
_Mission accomplished. _

When they followed Ben inside, a horrific scent almost struck them in the face.  
"_Wow_, what the hell is that?", Vinnie brought out as he covered his nose and mouth with the black bandana that was tied around his neck, almost gagging.  
Just like the hearing, the sense of smell of a Martian Cave Mouse was highly developed and tears jumped into Modo's eye as he too covered his nose.  
"Yeah, did you maybe forget to clean this place?", he asked frowning with a nasal voice.  
"For like, I dunno, _years_?", Vinnie added.  
The smell didn't seem to bother Ben, or at least not as much as it bothered the mice, but he quickly ran into a room on their left with an apologetic look on his friendly face.  
"I'm sorry, I forgot that I was working on this one the night you guys arrived. I usually keep them in the freezer, keeps the stench away", he babbled as he hastily opened some windows, letting in the fresh air before the two mice would possibly pass out.  
"Working on wh… _Holy shit!_", Vinnie suddenly exclaimed as he stopped dead in his tracks once he saw what was inside the room.  
Modo bumped into him because of his sudden stop and therefore almost catapulted his young bro into the room.  
He grabbed him right before the white-furred mouse landed face forward on the floor and quickly put him back on his feet.  
"Whoops, sorry little bro, I wasn't…", but he trailed off when he too looked into the room.  
"... paying attention… Where on Mars am I looking at?"

Ben turned around with a surprised look on his face, but when his gaze landed on the object on the table, he seemed to understand their confusion.  
"Oh! That's a… how do you guys call it? Plutarkian?"  
"What's left of it, you mean", Vinnie slowly said and he walked closer to the table that was in the middle of the room, his eyes narrowed as he took in the dissected body of the fish that lay on it.  
Modo followed the white-furred mouse, the pain in his arm completely forgotten by the sight of the heavily mutilated body of their mortal enemy.  
Its upper body was completely cut open and when he took a closer look, he could see that the abdominal contents were gone.  
His gaze wandered up, looking into the dull and sunken eyes of the unfortunate fellow.  
The usual green and slimy skin was now almost brown and crusty and the fins on top of its head, the ones that usually stood up with pride, were cut off.  
The wounds that stayed behind were deep, so deep that at some places, the white bone of the skull was visible.  
"Oh, momma…"

The sight of the body, enemy or not, along with the smell made him sick to the stomach and he quickly did a few steps back.  
But he bumped into something, causing a tinkling sound and he spun around, alarmed by the noise.  
Vinnie looked over his shoulder, now on high alert too and his eyes landed on the cases against the walls.  
The source of the sound seemed to be the different sized jars that were crammed on every shelf.  
Despite his good vision, he couldn't really tell what it was exactly what was inside those jars and something told him he didn't want to know either.  
But if he had to guess, they had just found the insides of the Plutarkian who was lying on the table, along with the ones of its buddies.  
After sharing a look with Modo, he turned his head back to look at Ben, who now opened the last one of the windows.  
"Okay, so, lemme ask the most obvious question here… Why is there a dead fish on your table?"  
The human male turned around to look at the white-furred mouse, still with that friendly look on his face.  
"Because I'm doing research on them."  
Vinnie pulled a face.  
"Okay... That's not creepy at all…"  
"Like I said, I'm a doctor, not a soldier. I fight this war with knowledge instead of firepower. It's my way of participating."  
"You mean you're searching for a weak spot?", Modo asked, his curiosity now piqued.  
"Something like that. I'm trying to understand how their body works, how our atmosphere affects them…"  
"And did you find anything useful? Something we can use against them?"

Ben's face lit up by that question, probably eager to share some of his test results, but then he shook his head.  
"I better stop myself before I even start, because trust me, once I'm on a roll...Besides, you're not here for biology class. Come on, let's get that wound treated first."  
Ben left the room and gestured the mice to follow him.  
They were more than happy to do what the man asked given the stench that was still terrorizing their sensitive nostrils, even with all the windows open.  
But Ben was moving fast and soon, the distance between him and the two mice became bigger and bigger.  
"Are you sure you wanna let someone who cuts up aliens in his free time touch you, bro?", Vinnie asked from the corner of his mouth.  
"I mean, doesn't that remind you of someone? And it ain't exactly a happy memory."  
Modo's lips curled into a smile as he ruffled his bionic hand through the short, with blood smeared fur on top of Vinnie's head.  
"I'm touched by your concern, it's almost cute, but he's different. I trust him. Besides, he did a good job with patching you up, so I think I'm good."

Vinnie slapped Modo's hand away and rubbed his now sore antennas.  
"Man, I hate it when you do that."  
"I know", Modo simply smiled as he put an arm around his young bro's neck and pulled him closer.  
"Come on, before we lose the doc and get lost. This place gives me the creeps."  
"Ugh, Modo, stop being such a girl and grow a pair, man. It's just a building with a room filled with Plutarkian organs in jars, that are put in there by a doc who happens to have cutting in dead bodies as a hobby. How is that even scary, huh?", Vinnie contradicted as he wriggled himself free from Modo's grip.  
Modo wasn't sure who his young bro was trying to convince, but he did know one thing and that was that nobody was allowed to call him a wuss.  
Not even his little bro.  
"You forget the spiders, Vin. I'm sure this building is full of them."  
The white-furred mouse, who had created some distance between them, now suddenly almost jumped on Modo's back and pushed his older bro forward.  
"I think I hear Ben calling for us. Let's not disappoint him, shall we?"  
Modo shook his head with a smile as he quickened his pace.  
_That's Vinnie for ya. _

A little while later, Modo was sitting on a chair in a clean and -more important- fresh-smelling room on the third floor.  
Ben took place next to him and unwrapped the blood-soaked bandana. After cleaning away most of the blood, he studied the deep wound.  
He then looked at Modo.  
"You want me to use a local anesthetic?"  
If Modo could pale under his fur, now would be a perfect time.  
Well, maybe he did anyway, but the grey fur did a good job covering it up.  
Still, the panicked reaction wasn't that hard to miss.  
"_No! _Ahum… I uh… I mean no, thanks."

Vinnie saw Ben's interrogative look and he laid his hands on Modo's shoulders.  
"Our beloved big fella over here doesn't like needles", he explained his older bro's behavior with a little smile on his face.  
The grey-furred giant sighed in return, but he didn't deny it either.  
Ben nodded as he changed his gloves and when he was done, he leaned forward.  
"Me neither, so you've got nothing to be ashamed of. Almost ten percent of the human population is scared of needles. Well, that was before the Plutarkians came, of course. Now, I don't even know if there still is a population in the first place. Either way, someone once told me it says nothing about your manhood, so don't worry."  
"Wait, what? But you're a doctor. How can you be scared of needles when using them is your job?", Vinnie asked confused as he wandered through the room, not able to sit or stand still.  
He yearned for a ride on his bike, eager to release some of the already slowly ascending tension in his body, preferably before he'd possibly explode.  
"Well, the funny part is that I don't have any problem with using them", Ben smiled as he took the needle-holder into his right hand and a tweezer in the other one.  
"You better look the other way, my friend", he said friendly to Modo when he picked up the suture with the needle-holder.

Modo swallowed with difficulty and quickly did what he was told.  
Vinnie suddenly popped up behind Ben to look over his shoulder and whistled between his teeth.  
"Whoa, that's one big ass needle you've got there, doc."  
Modo's head jerked up and his eye flickered red a couple of times.  
"This ain't exactly helpful, Vincent", he growled.  
"_Oops_. Sorry, big fella, I wasn't thinking", the white-furred mouse smirked, telling Modo he wasn't sorry at all.  
Knowing his little bro, it probably was a payback for the spiders.  
Still, there were limits, but that was just another word missing in Vinnie's vocabulary.  
"You never do."

But before he could stand up to teach that loudmouth a lesson, Ben pushed the needle into his arm.  
When he felt the mean sting, Modo's heart almost jumped out of his chest and his bionic hand tightened its grip around the armrest.  
Right before he would break it, Ben stopped and took off his gloves again.  
"This isn't gonna work. But don't worry, I've got just the thing that will help you relax", he said as he rose on his feet.  
He opened one of the cabinets in the corner and turned around with a bottle in his hands, closing the door with his hip.  
After he sat down again, he handed over the bottle to Modo, who took it with both suspicion and curiosity written on his face.  
"What's this?"  
"Whiskey. It's an age-old custom to drink alcohol to ease the pain, back in the time when they didn't have drugs at their disposal."  
Modo studied the amber-colored liquid, still not entirely convinced.  
"And how exactly does this help for the pain?"  
"Just take a few swigs and you'll find out soon enough. I'm not trying to poison you, trust me."  
"Hey man, no guts no glory, right?", Vinnie encouraged his older bro, now standing next to him, curious as he was.  
"Right."

And after taking off the cap, the grey-furred giant carefully took a sip.  
But what he didn't expect was that the drink almost burned down his throat and he coughed loudly as tears jumped in his eye.  
"Oh momma, this stuff burns worse than the sun on Mars", he managed to bring out, but Ben didn't look worried at all.  
"It's disgusting, I know. Come on, don't stop. With a body of your size, you're gonna need a little bit more than just one sip."  
With difficulty, Modo took a few more before giving the bottle back to Ben, who nodded satisfied.  
"Can I try?", Vinnie asked before the human male could put it back, almost bouncing on his feet.  
Ben studied the worked up white-furred mouse for a moment, but then shook his head.  
"I don't think that's a good idea, given your current state of mind. I'm afraid it will only make it worse."  
"Ah, man, no fair! Why does Modo get all the fun, huh?", Vinnie protested loudly, but Modo grabbed him before he could try to snatch the bottle out of Ben's hands.  
"There's absolutely nothing fun about this drink, trust me", he told his young bro with a hoarse voice.

Before Vinnie could say more, Ben laid a hand on his shoulder.  
"Come, let me take you to the shower. The alcohol needs some time to do its job anyway."  
"What's a shower?"  
Any other person might have lost its patience because of the endless stream of questions coming from the mice, but not Ben.  
Modo's respect for the man grew when he saw the still friendly and patient glance in his brown eyes as he laid a hand on Vinnie's shoulder.  
"I'll show you."  
Vinnie gave Modo a questionable look, their little quarrel already forgotten.  
When it came down to it, they always took care of each other, it was all part of their strong bond.  
The grey-furred giant nodded in response.  
"It's okay, Vin, go. I'll be fine."  
The young mouse gave him a nod back and let Ben lead him out of the room.

Modo listened to the fading footsteps and tried to relax a little, but that wasn't easy.  
He wasn't one who didn't know how to handle pain, next to the fact that Martian Mice had a high pain threshold.  
But even he had to admit that this hurt, whether he liked it or not and thinking back at the moment when Max planted the knife in his arm, his anger sparked up for a moment.  
_That darn human...  
_Ah well, at least he had paid the price.  
Modo moved his arm and squeezed his eye when a sharp pain made him almost throw up.  
Maybe he still needed to ask for that local anesthetic when Ben came back, but he suddenly noticed how a warm glow spread through his body.  
It seemed to come from his stomach and he wondered if this was the work of the alcohol.  
As the glow spread, it took away the sharp edges of the pain and he was finally able to relax.  
He slumped back in his chair, suddenly tired like he hadn't slept in weeks.  
"Oh, momma, this alcohol thing really is something…", he yawned, rubbing his face in an attempt to stay awake, but it was no use.

_What a day.  
__What a crazy day.  
__What a crazy planet. _

And before Modo even knew it, the whole world became black.


	15. Chapter 15

Hey there!

Thank you so much for the reviews, really, I can't thank you guys enough.  
It seems to be impossible to express my gratitude in words, but the least I can do is try.  
THANK YOU!

So, on with part two of the aftermath.  
Enjoy! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Vinnie stared at himself in the mirror.  
He looked tired, he noticed to his surprise.  
That didn't happen that often.  
Usually, his facial expression was a reflection of his ever-present hyperactivity, but not now.  
The dried blood spatter on his face didn't help either, just as the blue circles under his eyes shining through his fur.  
He felt the opposite of tired, though.  
He was more than restless.  
Although he would never say it out loud, but now he was alone, he could at least be honest to himself.  
And the truth was that even he experienced a certain aftershock from that last day on Mars.  
Just like his bro's did.  
He was just… less obvious about it.  
But that didn't mean he didn't care, because he did.  
Mars was his home.  
And now it was lost.  
The Freedom Fighters had lost.  
And he _hated_ losing.  
Just as he hated the more quiet moments in war such as these.  
It gave him time to think.  
He didn't want to think.

Because when he did, painful realizations forced themselves upon him.  
Like, that the pain that came with this aftermath was all too familiar.  
That it reminded him of a day he was trying so hard to forget.  
Usually, he was able to shield himself from the darkness that came with war, always willing to see an opportunity in every situation instead of a problem.  
Life was already hard enough and he refused to let it swallow him up.  
His optimism stopped him from drowning and he intended to keep it that way.  
Still, there were days when the darkness pulled harder on him than usual and that last day on Mars served as a good example.  
_And so was that other day._

Slowly, he lifted his hands and his fingers enclosed the familiar and unbroken links.  
With reluctance, he took off the necklace that he wore every day, every hour, every minute.  
But now, he needed to take it off so he could clean the fur in his neck and it somehow made his heart ache like never before.  
Like there was a piece of him missing from the moment he took it off.  
He was so used to feel the weight around his neck, to the warm and comforting feeling of metal on his chest, close to his always fluttering heart.  
The tinkling sound that was heard when he laid the necklace with pendant on the edge of the -how did Ben call it?- _sink_ gave him goosebumps all over his body and he shook his head as he gave himself a mental shake.  
"Come on, man, enough with this bullshit. Keep your head up, like you always do", he said stern to his reflection, who looked back with burning eyes.  
"Nothing can take the Vinman down, remember? Nothing."  
_Not since that day…_

"Stop it."  
His voice echoed against the walls of the sober-looking room from which Ben had told him it was called a bathroom and instead of being comforted by the familiar sound, it only made him more hyped up.  
His hands grabbed the sink in an iron grip as he still stared at himself.  
He didn't like the face that looked back.  
It was too troubled.  
Too serious.  
There was too much pain visible in the ruby-red eyes.  
He leaned closer to the mirror, his reflection now fogged by his breathing.  
"Even though talking to yourself is the first sign that you're officially losing your mind, I'm still gonna say it. Stop. Doing. This. The past is the past and there's nothing you can do about it. Just live every day like it's your last and _never_ look back."

Of course, his reflection didn't answer and he heaved a sigh, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed by himself.  
Perhaps the time had come to try that shower thingy.  
If he had to believe Ben, it would calm his nerves.  
_Right.  
_The only thing that was able to calm his nerves was adrenaline.  
Perhaps that was everything but logical, given the fact that adrenaline usually had a stimulating effect.  
Still, it was the only thing that was able to chase away this certain restlessness that was always there.  
_The heritage of war.  
_And it needed a lot of explosions to make that happen.  
So, unless the shower would fire laser or spit out grenades, he seriously had his doubts that it was capable of calming him down.

Right before he looked away, he suddenly saw something that caught his attention and he quickly turned his head back.  
Again, he leaned closer to the mirror and looked at his right eye.  
"That's weird…"  
He raised his right hand and used his index finger to pull down his lower eyelid.  
After trying different angles, he let it go again and blinked a few times.  
But it was still there.  
An almost microscopically small white dot in the scarlet iris, right next to the pupil, from which he knew it wasn't there before.  
As a mouse who loved to adore himself in the mirror, he could know.  
But it didn't hurt and the rest of his eye looked as beautiful as ever, so he shrugged and turned away from the mirror.  
As he looked at the thing that was called a shower, he took off the rest of his clothes as Ben had instructed him.  
Apparently, nudity was part of the process.  
_Where were the ladies when you needed them the most?  
_"Alright, partner. Let's do this."

**_…_**

"Modo. Modo, wake up."  
Ben's voice echoed through the darkness and the grey-furred giant slowly opened his eye.  
He tried to look around him, but the light hurt and he quickly closed it again.  
"Come on, laddie, wake up. You're all done."  
Again, Modo opened his eye and after blinking a few times, his vision became sharp.  
He somehow couldn't remember where he was, but a sharp pain in his arm chased away some of the fog in his head and he looked down.  
A neat row of stitches looked back and he frowned in confusion.  
"What happened?"  
"Apparently, your body reacts a little intense on alcohol. You were out like a light and I couldn't wake you up, so I figured I might as well use the time to stitch the wound. You'll be fine."  
Modo slowly sat upright, but from the moment he moved, a pounding headache made him stop and he moaned softly.  
"Oh, momma, what train hit me?"  
"Max", Ben simply answered and it suddenly all came back.  
Max.  
How they found out that he hurt Charley.  
How Throttle broke his wrist.  
How he held Max to wait for further orders.  
How things went south after that.  
A knife.  
A gunshot.  
Blood.  
Pain.  
_Needles.  
_"Max."  
Ben nodded in response as he reached out a glass of water.  
"Yes, Max. Don't worry, with your fast metabolism, the alcohol will be soon out of your system. That includes the headache, if you drink some water, that is."

Modo thankfully took the glass and after a few swigs, he already felt a bit better.  
He looked at Ben, who was now collecting his used materials, probably to clean them.  
He felt nothing but respect looking at the man, but there was still one thing that gnawed on him, something that didn't fit with the image he had of the human doctor.  
"You knew and you did nothing. I keep asking myself, why? You clearly care about her and my guts are telling me you ain't no bad man. So I need to ask… why?"  
The human doctor stopped with what he was doing and stared at his hands.  
"Accidents happen. I found out. I'm a doctor. She came to me with mysterious injuries, more than once, and every time she had a different story. One time she tripped, the other time she fell off the stairs… Really, if I didn't know any better, she was the most clumsy person I've ever met. But I'm not stupid. So one day, I confronted her. Sometimes, I regret that I did. It made things even more complicated than they already were… Anyway, she didn't deny it. She burst into tears the moment I asked."  
"How long ago was that?"  
"Five years."  
Modo almost fell off his chair and his tail lashed through the air.  
"Five years? You let this go on for_ five years_?"  
He didn't want to get angry with the friendly doctor, but this went against everything he stood for.  
Everything his beloved momma had taught him.  
And even though a year on Earth was shorter than the ones on Mars, five years was still a very long time.

Ben didn't defend himself, he just nodded.  
"It was wrong, I know, but she made me promise not to tell. Believe me, when she told me, I wanted nothing more but to confront Max, to tell him that he needed to keep his hands off of her, but she went ballistic. She literally begged me not to tell anyone, because she was scared of what would happen if I did. It was one of the hardest choices I ever made, but I did it to protect her."  
"This whole thing just doesn't make sense. She was able to control his temper. I saw it the night we came, he _actually_ listened to her… How could she let him treat her the way he did?"  
"Because believe it or not, they loved each other. In a way, she was convinced that they needed each other. Charley needed someone by her side to built this camp, someone who believed in her and despite everything, Max did. Max, on his turn, knew he had a bad temper and Charley helped him to control it. Well, that's what they both thought. I think that he only suppressed it and we all know that in the end, suppressed anger always finds its way out. Charley's injuries were the proof of that."

Modo shook his head in confusion.  
"What about the people in the camp? Did they know what was going on?"  
Ben let out a soft chuckle, but it wasn't one of joy.  
"It was only behind closed doors where Max showed his true nature. Everyone knew he was a hothead, but didn't think much more of it. The people here respect him, because despite the fact that he was a man that did bad things, he also did a lot of good things for this camp. People owe him their life. He was a man with two faces."  
"And he never tried to take over leadership? I know guys like him, they are drunk on power."  
"He was. But even though the people respected him, they respect Charley even more. They would never listen to him, not as they do to Charley. He knew that, and so he let her be the leader. In public, that is. When they were alone, the tables were turned."

Modo snorted, he was trying very hard to understand all this, but it was hard.  
Ben seemed to hear his disapproval and he heaved a sigh with a sad glance in his brown eyes.  
"Look, I know this hard for you to understand, but she loved him. She believed in him. I already told you, she's too caring for her own good. She's too good for this world. He kept telling her it wouldn't happen again, that he would change and she believed him, every single time. I couldn't get through to her that he was never going to change, that he was too far gone. My hands were tied, I couldn't force her to leave him, that's just not how this works. So, I promised her that I wouldn't tell and she promised me that she would come to me to let me treat her wounds. That was my way of helping her, to do at least _something_. Truth to be told, I was scared. Scared to lose her. Scared for Max, for what he would do to her if he found out that I knew his dirty secret… I love her, you know. She's my daughter. Maybe not by blood, but there are bonds stronger than blood and I think you know that. I couldn't risk losing her."  
Modo heard the despair and pain in Ben's voice and he calmed down a bit.  
Things weren't always as easy as they looked and love was a complicated thing, that he knew.  
Hearing the helplessness reminded him that he once was on the same boat as Ben.  
Convincing Throttle that Carbine was bad news for him had been impossible as well.  
One once told him that love is blind.  
And he knew, unfortunately, that was true.

"She thanked Throttle for killing him. What's changed?"  
Ben looked him in the eye.  
"Sometimes, strange eyes forces one to see what is right in front of them."  
"I don't believe I get your drift..."  
"I think your friend was able to give love sight. To let her see that things needed to change. That Max was only holding her back. He got through to her."  
"You mean like, setting her free?"  
"Something like that. And not just her. In fact, I don't think it's a coincidence that you three landed on this planet."  
Modo frowned in confusion, but then it dawned on him.  
"The Plutarkians."  
"Yes. I believe you guys are here to set us all free."  
Modo suddenly remembered what Throttle used to tell him on days when he was close to losing hope because of all the violence they were surrounded by, violence that never seemed to end.  
The tan-furred mouse had told him it was their destiny to take care of those who needed it, to fight evil till their final breath.  
Maybe he was right all along.  
Maybe there was such a thing as fate.  
Maybe the universe did have a plan for all of them.

"You better not tell Vinnie that, or you'll never hear the end of it…"  
But then, his brain processed Ben's previous words.  
'_...able to give love sight.'  
_"You think she has feelings for Throttle?", he asked with surprise.  
"All I know is that he got through to her. I tried that for years without any result and he succeeds only a few days after they met. That has to mean something, right?"  
Modo thought about it for a moment, but then nodded.  
"I guess you're right."  
"What about your friend?"  
"What about him?"  
"Is he always this… _devoted_?"  
"Depends on what you mean with devoted. But if you're asking if killing abusive boyfriends is part of his daily routine, I can tell you it definitely ain't his usual style."  
"And what does that tell you?"  
"That's he's willing to go far to protect her."  
Ben studied Modo's face for a moment.  
"You don't like to talk about this", he then concluded.

Modo heaved a sigh as he got a bit more upright.  
"Look doc, to be honest, I ain't sure what's going on in his head right now. He just ain't himself lately. That last day on Mars took a lot of him, that I know. But I would never judge him. He's my bro, no matter his actions or state of mind. I've known him since forever and I'll always have his back, no matter what. He's a good mouse. A good leader. He always tries to do the right thing. But he ain't perfect. No one is. And I don't blame him for that. I mean, we all make mistakes, whether we like it or not, especially when we're under the same pressure Throttle lives with every day. Being a leader is everything but easy."  
"I'm not judging your friend, Modo, I'm _admiring _him. Just as I admire Charley. I can't imagine how it must be to live under such pressure and I know that only a few are able to do so without losing their mind. Charley is one of those few and from what I've seen so far, your friend is too. They are both born leaders, it's in their blood, but they both have lost their way. But I think that they can help each other to find back their path. And that, my dear boy, is more than just love. That's destiny."

"Yeah, maybe…", Modo mumbled absent-mindedly, already thinking about what Vinnie's role would be in this story.  
He still hadn't had the chance to ask, but he could see the way he looked at Charley.  
He was _definitely_ interested.  
But interested was a broad term and he wasn't sure where his young bro was standing.  
It wasn't always easy to see what Vinnie's true intentions were behind his flirting, the metal mask wasn't the only mask he was wearing, after all.  
But Modo had a nagging feeling that he already knew.  
And it wasn't love, nor it was destiny.  
Then again, if Ben was right and this was truly meant to be, then not even Vinnie was gonna be able to come between.  
Still, knowing what to expect never hurt anyone.  
And then there was Carbine...

But speaking of the young daredevil, it was this moment that Vinnie decided to make his dramatic come back.  
The white-furred mouse burst inside the room with a big smile on his face and by the looks of things, he was even more hyped up than when he'd left the room.  
"Holy _shit_, that shower thingy is _awesome_!"  
Modo opened his mouth to tell the young mouse he needed to calm down for his headache couldn't handle this level of activity, but then something stopped him and he wrinkled his nose.  
"Wow, what on Mars is that smell?"  
It wasn't that bad actually, well, if it was to a lesser extent, that is.  
"Oh, I guess that's the stuff I used to wash my fur. Why, you don't like it?"  
"It's just… a bit intense, I guess…"  
Vinnie sniffed at his fur and smiled a bit sheepishly, now understanding where his older bro was coming from.  
"Maybe I overdid it…"  
"That ain't exactly new, bro", Modo responded dryly as he looked at his youngest bro who looked a lot better now.  
His fur was back to its usual snow-white color and it even glanced like never before.  
The clothes Ben had given to him looked a lot like the ones he usually wore and by seeing the ragged hole by Vinnie's tail, he concluded that was the only adjustment the outfit had needed.

"How much did you use?", Ben asked curiously as he was now standing by the counter cleaning his tools.  
"I dunno, like two bottles or so."  
The human doctor froze, but then burst into laughter.  
Vinnie stopped his bouncing and gave the man a confused look.  
"What? What's so funny?"  
"Two bottles? No wonder you smell like a walking bouquet of petunias!"  
"What are petunias?"  
Ben shook his head, not able to answer the question, but Vinnie was already with his attention back to Modo, not able to focus on one thing for longer than two seconds.  
"Really, bro, you should try it, it's so _cool_! There's this lever, and when you switch it, there's coming water out of the wall! Can you believe that shit? And it gets even better, because you can actually change the temperature! Shit man, Earth is so weird, I'm telling ya", the white-furred mouse babbled and before giving Modo the chance to react, he already looked at Ben again.  
"Yo Ben, can I have my own shower?"

Ben was finally able to talk again and he shook his head, his brown eyes still twinkling in amusement.  
"I'm afraid not. This is the only working shower we have and we only use it in emergencies. Water is in short supply in the apocalypse. Besides, it was _supposed _to calm you down…"  
He then turned around to look at Modo as he pointed at the white-furred bouncing ball.  
"Is he always like this?"  
"Yup. Believe it or not, this is him being restraint. But not to worry, you'll get used to it. One day."  
"What my bro here is trying to say is that with my shiny presence in it, your life will never be the same again. Really, I've seen it happen a thousand times already. So yeah, not to worry, doc. Every day, for the rest of your life, you'll be grateful that you've met me. Success guaranteed", Vinnie said casually as he polished his nails to his shirt with a very smugly facial expression.  
Ben stared at the white-furred mouse with a look on his face that one could call perplexed.  
Modo couldn't blame him, after all, no one could brag this insolent as Vinnie.  
One could almost call it a talent.  
Well, actually, it was.  
But no one, absolutely no one felt the need to tell that to Vinnie for many obvious reasons.

"He's right, ya know. Well, about the part that your life will never gonna be the same again. It's his perspective on _why _that you should question", the grey-furred mouse chuckled after seeing the look on Ben's face.  
The human doc opened his mouth, but then the radio on his belt came to life.  
"_Charley to Ben, over."  
_Ben, who was still smiling, brought the black device to his mouth and pushed the button on the side.  
"Ben for Charley, over."  
"_If you're ready with Modo's wound, I can use your help over here, over."  
_"I'm about to finish things up here. I'll be there in a few, over."  
"_Copy that, over."  
_The radio fell silent for a moment, but then Charley's voice came through the speakers again.  
"_Oh, and Ben? Bring a body bag. Charley over and out."  
_Ben lowered the radio, his smile already gone again and he turned around to clean the last of his tools.

Modo took a deep breath and slowly got back on his feet.  
For a moment, the world was spinning around him, but then, everything got back on its place again.  
"We'll come with you. Maybe we can do something to help", he spoke to the now tensed back of Ben.  
Suddenly, something pulled on his ear and he looked down a bit annoyed, straight into the rebellious eyes of his youngest bro.  
"Help? What do you mean, _help_? Cleaning up dead bodies is _not_ in this mouse his job description!"  
"I'm afraid it just got penciled in, bro. No one forced Charley to help us, and yet she did. We owe her something and as you know, we _always_ pay our debts."  
But looking into the burning ruby-red eyes, Modo could tell that the white-furred mouse needed a little bit more incentive.  
"Come on, Vin, we never let a lady down, remember? If you don't wanna do this for me, then do it for Charley."

It was a risky move, that he knew.  
The last thing Modo wanted was to push Vinnie closer to Charley.  
Not with this thing that was going on with Throttle.  
But he needed to know.  
Next to the fact that forcing Vinnie into something he didn't want to do simply didn't work.  
The young mouse needed the right motivation and right now, Charley was one of those motivations, whether he liked it or not.  
Something changed in Vinnie's eyes, his obstinacy got replaced with smugness and Modo finally knew.  
He was right.  
It wasn't love and it sure as hell wasn't destiny.  
It was a competition.

But before he could say something, Ben interfered.  
"I'm done here. You guys know what you want to do or do you need another minute?"  
"We're coming with you, doc", Vinnie said quickly as he turned around.  
Ben nodded and left the room, probably assuming that the two mice would follow.  
Well, that was Vinnie's plan, but Modo wasn't done yet, so he grabbed him by the arm and forced him to turn back around.  
"I swear on my mother's grave, if you hurt her…", he threatened between clenched teeth, his voice so low it sounded more like a growl.  
Vinnie's eyes grew big in played shock.  
"Who? Moi? _Never_! Come on, big fella, you know me. I'm the paragon of virtue."  
A pang of anger made Modo grab Vinnie by his bandana and he pulled him closer.  
"You leave her alone, you hear me? This ain't no game, Vincent. There's too much at stake."  
But instead of being impressed, the left corner of Vinnie's mouth curled into a small but arrogant smile and it suddenly hit Modo like a train.  
Talk about a stupid move.  
To Vinnie, everything was a game.  
_A competition.  
_And he had just made it an interesting one too.

_**…**_

That night, everyone gathered in the outermost part of Sleepy Park for Max his funeral.  
The atmosphere was passive, almost resigned, as if the people knew that this day would come.  
Maybe they did.  
They were living in a war.  
And the sad truth was that war and death were inseparable.  
That Max his death was a bit more personal no one knew.  
Ben had told them that a Plutarkian had managed to find a weak spot in the perimeter, that Max had spotted him right after sneaking inside, but that the fish was the first one who pulled the trigger.  
That soon after that, the mice had caught the intruder and killed him.  
The story had caused shock and fear, but Ben had managed to put their minds at ease by telling them that Charley and the mice had not only fixed the fence, but also checked every square inch of it and that they could say for sure that this would never happen again.

Throttle didn't like to be part of a lie this big, but even he understood it was the only way to keep peace in this camp.  
Next to the fact that Charley was determined to keep Max his reputation intact.  
She somehow didn't have the heart to tell the truth about him, but nobody had forced her to it either.  
She was the one calling the shots, after all.  
And she knew what was best for this camp.  
So, he and his bro's had played along.  
They had even checked the fence to make the story more credible and pretended to fix a part that was in reality still in very good shape.  
Vinnie had been, _of course_, more than willing to fire his gun two times and they had used the already dead body of the Plutarkian out Ben's lab to carry away in a body bag.  
As far as they knew, nobody had actually seen them, but it was all just in case someone would have.  
But it looked like their plan had worked, because no one had questioned the story so far.

Throttle glanced at Charley, who was standing next to him.  
She was staring at the hole in the ground as tears streamed down her face.  
Her pain cut through his soul, and not because he felt guilty for killing Max, but simply because he cared about her.  
Very much.  
It was strange, how important she had become to him in such a short matter of time.  
But he had stopped fighting it, ever since that moment he pulled the trigger.  
He couldn't run from this.  
He couldn't hide from this.  
And fighting it only made it more confusing.  
Sometimes, the path one walks on takes an unexpected turn, but that didn't mean it would lead to something bad.  
Going back wasn't an option either.  
So he had made his peace with it.  
And now, all there was left to do was to wait and see where this path would take him.

He looked back at Ben, who stood next to Max's grave and was about to finish his talk.  
"Max his tragic and sudden death will leave a great void behind, but perhaps we can comfort ourselves with the thought that he died as what he was to us. A hero."  
Vinnie, who was standing next to Throttle, snorted loudly in response and the tan-furred mouse quickly gave him a warning look.  
The last thing they could use right now was that loudmouth disrupting this gathering, although it wouldn't be exactly a surprise.  
But it appeared that Modo, who on his turn stood next to Vinnie, wasn't planning on letting that happen either, because he elbowed the white-furred mouse in the ribs.  
It didn't escape Throttle's attention that it seemed to be a bit harder than just a warning jab, which was in line with something he had noticed right after his two bro's came back with Ben this afternoon.  
There was a certain tension palpable between them, one the tan-furred leader couldn't put his finger on.  
As if something happened in the short time that they were separated.  
Throttle wondered what that could be, but then again, it wasn't exactly breaking news that his two beloved bro's had this odd love-hate pattern from time to time.  
Still, it felt different this time and he made a mental note to himself that he would ask them as soon as he got the chance.  
Luckily, Vinnie got the hint, although with indignation, and the peace returned.

Throttle focussed his attention back on Ben, who now threw a handful of sand in Max his grave and suddenly, Charley grabbed his hand in an iron grip.  
He lowered his eyes and looked at their entwined fingers.  
And even though he was attending a ceremony of death and pain, he couldn't stop himself from getting the feeling that he was the luckiest guy on Mars… or on Earth.  
Maybe on both planets.  
Or maybe even in the entire universe.  
To find something this beautiful, this_ pure_ in a world that was upside down was a miracle to say at least.  
And he vowed to himself that he would do anything to keep it close to him.  
To keep _her_ close to him.

When it was her turn, Charley did a few steps forward without letting go of his hand, as if it was the only thing that stopped her from drowning in her grief.  
She slowly bent down to grab a handful of sand and when she got back upright, she gave Throttle a quick, but helpless look.  
Strangely enough, seeing that look gave him the sudden urge to cry, a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time.  
She was so _lost_ at the moment.  
No one ever said that -even though the ladder appeared to be long enough- climbing out of the deep black pit was easy.  
But she wasn't alone.  
She needed to know that, and so, the tan-furred mouse leaned closer to her.  
"Letting go is one of the hardest things in life, but it's the only way to make room for new things. I believe in you, Charley. You can do this", he whispered in her ear, closing his eyes when he smelled a hint of her lovely scent.  
It didn't make him crazy anymore, not since he had stopped fighting this thing that was happening to him.  
Now, it only made him calm, almost peaceful.  
But underneath the calmness, carefully hidden, desire was brewing.

Charley took a deep breath and reached out her trembling hand.  
For a moment, it just floated above the hole, holding the sand with so much strength that the usual pinkish skin around her knuckles was now white.  
Throttle squeezed softly in her other hand as encouragement, to let her know that she wasn't alone.  
That he believed in her.  
Because he did.  
With his whole heart and soul, he believed in her.  
After closing her eyes for a moment, she let out her breath and opened her hand.  
And when the sand landed on the body bag with a rustling sound, the book called Max closed to never open again.  
It would always be there, collecting dust on one of the shelves in Charley's memory, but it would remain closed.  
For it was now time to look forward.  
And there, the future awaits.

'_And will we ever…  
__End up together?'  
_

* * *

The en... no, just kidding.  
The story is far from over, on the contrary, it's just getting started.

Feel free to leave a review and thanks for supporting me by reading my story.  
Much love to all of you out there.

Later dudes!


	16. Chapter 16

Hey you guys.

Thanks for the reviews, they always make me so happy!  
**Wolftattoo**; I wanna congratulate you on writing from what I believe is the longest review I ever had! XD  
Really, I think it's super cool that you take the time to think and write down your thoughts about my story.  
Know that I read them all, I just can't discuss the specifics because I don't wanna give spoilers or something.  
I hope you understand :)  
Also a shoutout to my more quiet readers.  
Mucho love to you all.

So, on with the story.  
Feel free to leave a review and till next time, dudes!

Ride free!

* * *

**Chapter 16**

'_Crazy is the Word of the Day.'_

"Man, if I don't see some action soon I'm gonna fade away…", Vinnie sighed as he threw another knife.  
It ended up in the middle of the wooden board that hung close to the entrance of their tent.  
Shortly after Max his funeral, Charley had given them their weapons back, much to Vinnie's joy.  
With the bikes fixed, his leg almost healed and he himself armed to the teeth again, he was more than ready to whip some major tail.  
There was only one thing missing.  
The enemy.  
It made the white-furred mouse more than restless. He really needed to blow off some steam, but how was he able to do that if there was nothing to blow up?  
"Yeah, it's quiet here on Earth. A little _too_ quiet, maybe…", Modo agreed with his young bro, lying on the bed with his hands folded under his head.  
Not because he wanted or needed a fight as much as his beloved white-furred bro did, although he couldn't ignore the fact that he too enjoyed a good fight from time to time, but because the pressing silence made him anxious.  
As if it was a calm before the storm.  
It was based on nothing, though.  
Charley had told them that the Plutarkians didn't attack the camp that often, probably because they were stationed in the outskirts of the city.  
Or perhaps they didn't see them as a threat.  
Or maybe they had more important things to do.  
Either way, whatever the reason may be, it was quiet.  
And that was something all three mice simply weren't used to because on Mars, things had been different.  
On Mars, there had been more busy days than quiet ones.  
And usually, quiet meant trouble.  
It seemed that here on Earth, things were the other way around.  
Like the world was turned upside down.  
_Again. _

Vinnie looked over his shoulder to their leader, who was busy with cleaning his favorite gun.  
"Can't we just, I dunno, go out and bust up a few fish? Maybe even one? Please?"  
Throttle looked up from his work and whistled between his teeth when he saw the pleading look on Vinnie's face before he glanced at Modo with a smile on his face.  
"He's saying _please_."  
"Yep. He's in a bad shape", Modo chuckled.  
"Guys, come on… We're _heroes_! It's our duty to save the world, not to just hang around!", Vinnie protested, already annoyed because his bro's reaction made clear that they weren't going to give him what he wanted, namely; a good fight.  
"Chill, adrenaline mouse. We just got here", Throttle said soothingly as he focussed his attention back on his work.  
"Yeah, and we already prevented a Plutarkian invasion and killed a human, so I say we do more than just hanging around", Modo added, already staring at the ceiling again.  
Vinnie's fur bristled and his long tail lashed through the air with a zooming sound.  
"But this is _boring_!", and he threw his last knife away with all his strength.

Right before it hit the board, the flap of the tent opened.  
Charley appeared in the opening just when the knife landed in the wood with a loud thump and she looked at her right, startled by the sudden sound so close to her head.  
After staring at the knife -that was still slightly vibrating from impact- with her green eyes wide open, she narrowed them as she looked back at the mice.  
"Okay, whose genius idea was it to hang that board so close to the entrance?", she asked with a low voice, clearly not amused.  
"That would be Vinnie", Modo answered with a clear conscience, which yielded him a glare of the young white-furred mouse.  
"Why am I not surprised?", Charley sighed with shaking head as she walked further inside.  
"Well, lucky for you, I _never _miss", Vinnie mentioned with an arrogant smile as he winked at the human female, who rolled her eyes in return.  
"Lucky me."

The white-furred mouse then turned back to Modo, who was still lying on the bed.  
His arrogance switched to innocence, but of course, his words were far from harmless.  
"You do know that the other word for snitch is _rat_, right?"  
Modo jerked upright, his eye already glowing red.  
"Who do you call a rat?"  
Throttle quickly jumped at his feet and lined himself up between his two bro's.  
Who were bickering like two children ever since that moment they came back from the infirmary.  
That was now two days ago and since Throttle had noticed the tension between them -which wasn't really that hard to miss- shortly thereafter, he'd asked what was going on the moment they had been alone.  
But both his bro's had skirted the question with a certain smoothness that didn't reassure the tan-furred mouse at all.  
No, it had made him only more suspicious.  
Still, he'd decided to just wait and see, for now, that is.  
Maybe it would pass, it usually always did.  
There was a time for talk and there was a time for observation.  
Although a little warning from time to time never hurt anyone.

"Okay, that's enough", he warned both of them, his voice low.  
When it was clear that they wouldn't tear out each other's whiskers, he looked at Charley and he felt how his face softened, how his lips curled into a loving smile.  
That always seemed to happen when he saw her.  
"Sorry. We'll replace the board."  
Charley nodded as she gave him a little smile back.  
"Good idea. So, what I wanted to ask you before I almost got killed by simply walking in, is if you guys wanna come with me on a recon? Ben needs…", but before she could talk further, Vinnie suddenly grabbed her head with both hands and gave her a rough kiss on the mouth before he let her go again.  
"You have _no_ idea how much I love you right now, you truly are a lifesaver, sweetheart! Let's go, guys!", and he almost bounced out of the tent, pulling his knives out of the board on the way.  
All this happened in like two seconds, giving the others no time to react and they all stayed behind a bit baffled.

Charley looked at Throttle with confusion in her eyes, but also a hint of amusement.  
It was small, but it was there.  
"I uh… Should I take that as a yes?"  
Throttle shared her confusion, but then again, Vinnie tended to react a little impulsive from time to time, especially when he was on edge.  
And he was on edge, alright.  
So, his action could be completely innocent, simply because it happened to be Charley who gave him, after a few days of peace and quietness, the thing he needed the most right now.  
A way out.  
Because peace and quietness was something his young bro didn't handle very well.  
Sad, but true.  
So yeah, it all made perfect sense.  
Then why was he feeling instead of amusement like Charley did, a pang of anger?  
More to the point; the sickening feeling of... _jealousy_?  
Why did the childish thought that it was Vinnie who now had kissed her first popped up in his head, completely out of nowhere?  
It was barely even a kiss.  
It probably meant nothing.  
Nothing more than exaggerated but sincere gratitude.  
The young mouse probably wasn't even aware of his actions, being hyper as he was now.  
_Still.  
_This whole thing gave him a nagging feeling of nausea, a feeling from which he knew it was intrinsically linked with jealousy.  
He never knew he was a jealous type of guy.  
But like he had noticed before, when it came to Charley, all bets were off.

He suddenly realized that Charley was still waiting for an answer, looking at him with a hopeful glance in those marvelous green eyes of hers and he shook off the unpleasant feeling Vinnie's action gave him.  
"I'm in. What about you, big fella?", the tan-furred mouse asked as he looked at his bro, who was now standing next to him.  
"I can use a little ride to clear the head. So yeah, Modo Maverick is at your service, ma'am", the grey-furred giant answered as he saluted with the hint of a smile on his face.  
"You sure your arm is up to it too?", Charley asked a bit worried as she pointed at the bandage around Modo's flesh arm.  
The latter flexed his muscles in response.  
"There's hardly any more pain, Charley ma'am. Don't worry, I'll be fine."  
"Yo, guys, are you coming, or what? I'm almost _dying_ of boredom here, so if you guys don't hurry, you'll be responsible for me dying _the_ most uncool death _ever_ and lemme tell ya this; I'll come back to haunt your asses till your final breath!", they heard Vinnie yell at them from outside.  
Throttle and Modo shared a look.  
"Ya know, the funny thing is that I actually believe him. So we better go, the last thing I want is Vinnie haunting me for the rest of my life", Modo pointed out.  
"Isn't he already?", Throttle chuckled, but then he nodded.  
"Let's go, before he does something stupid."

**_…_**

"How long does it take to get ready? Ugh, this is taking like… _forever_!", Vinnie whined.  
The mice were sitting on their bikes close by the gate, waiting for Charley.  
She had told Throttle she needed a few minutes to get ready and only five minutes had passed since she did.  
But of course, five minutes were like five years in Vinnie's book.  
"She'll be here soon, Vincent, just try to…", but Throttle trailed off when he heard the sound of a soft purring engine and he looked over his shoulder.  
When he saw the source of the sound, his mouth dropped, so did his heart and suddenly, everything around him was forgotten.  
Charley drove up to them, but instead of being dressed in her usual attire, she now wore a black leather, close-fitting pants.  
Her blouse was changed with a red leather jacket that was tight enough to reveal her curves and she had some _lovely_ curves, Throttle now saw.  
His body temperature rose a few degrees when she came closer.  
He had never seen a body like hers, for even though Martian Mice had some similarities with humans, this was something different.  
He couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly that made it so perfectly shaped in his opinion, but the fact remained it did.  
And all he could do was stare at her as he felt pins and needles all over, his mind completely blank now.

Modo saw his bro's reaction and he too looked over his shoulder.  
And his mouth also dropped.  
But not because of Charley.  
No, it was the bike she rode on that made his heart beat faster.  
He didn't recognize the model, which wasn't really strange given the fact that they were the aliens now, but it was in one word beautiful.  
It looked a lot like his bike actually, the model and shaping of the chrome parts.  
Perhaps that was the reason why he liked it so much.  
For there was nothing in the entire universe that he loved so much as his bike.  
However, it was smaller than his and the paint wasn't purple but black with hints of red.  
Still, it was one _fine_ bike she had there.  
Kudos for the Earthlings for designing something that beautiful, that's for sure.

Vinnie was too hyped up to notice how quiet his bro's suddenly were, but when he heard the soft sound of shrieking brakes next to him, he turned his head.  
He saw a black biker boot touching the ground next to him and his eyes followed up the strong leg that was attached to it.  
The lines of the muscles were clearly visible because of the skin-tight black leather and his heart started to beat even faster.  
When his gaze landed on the well-shaped body, that was covered in red leather, his mouth became dry and he suddenly noticed he'd stopped breathing.  
Well, if he had to guess, he'd already stopped breathing from the moment he saw the boot making contact with the ground.  
"_Whoa_… light my fire…", he panted as he let out his breath, but Charley didn't hear it.  
She was, by the looks of things, completely oblivious to the way her appearance triggered the mice.  
"I'm ready if you are", she said as she adjusted the holster that was tight around her right leg.  
"Great timing", Throttle managed to bring out.  
"Great bike", Modo squeaked.  
"Great… _outfit_... ", Vinnie breathed, pulling his bandana.

"Thanks, guys. So, the plan is to take a look at a pharmacy, that's hopefully still standing, on the other side of town. Ben needs new supplies and my guess is we can find it there. We haven't been to that side of town before, so it's important to keep our eyes open and be prepared for anything", Charley informed them, still completely unaware of the three shook up males who were now trying to grab themselves together.  
Modo was the first one to recover, after all, no matter how beautiful the bike was, it didn't rattle him the way Charley did to both his bro's.  
"Is it just the four of us, Charley ma'am?", he asked politely when he noticed no one beside Charley joined them.  
"Yeah, everybody is still very upset because of Max, so I figured they needed some time…", she answered and her face expression switched from determined to sad.

Hearing her say Max's name for the first time since the funeral snapped Throttle back to reality.  
Even though he had seen that from the moment the sand had touched the body bag in the grave a certain weight was lifted off of her shoulders, she was still struggling with her grief.  
A logical response, of course, despite the circumstances.  
But the tan-furred mouse had promised he would be there for her, and how could he do that if he was just standing there, staring at her like some sort of creep, close to drooling?  
Honestly, she was so much more than just a perfectly shaped body.  
After giving himself a firm mental shake, he drove up next to her and gently laid a hand on her arm.  
"Maybe you _all_ need some time", he said softly, but meaningful.  
Charley stared at her bike for a moment, but then she shook her head.  
"No. I'm responsible for my people and resigning from my role as leader would feel like I let them down. Like failure. And I will _never_ fail on my people. So, I'm doing this."  
Throttle could only admire her strength and he nodded.  
"Whatever you want, babe. We've got your back. Just lead the way."  
The human female glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and flashed him a grateful smile.  
And after turning her radio to the same frequency as the mice, she whistled to the guards and signed them to open the gate.

It was then that Vinnie finally snapped out of his trance and he when he was fully aware of his surroundings again, his blood pressure went through the roof.  
He had already been so close to losing his shit before all this and since he couldn't do anything with this physical reaction his body had after seeing Charley in such a… _hot_ outfit, he now almost exploded out of his fur.  
He needed some serious discharge and his hands tightened around his handlebars, his muscles vibrating under his skin as his ruby-red eyes followed the guards every movement.  
Why on Mars were they so slow?  
Couldn't they speed up a little?  
As in, swift up to a higher gear?  
He needed to get into movement and fast, otherwise, the camp would be too small.  
But then, just when he thought he couldn't hold it much longer, he suddenly had this wonderful redemptive epiphany.  
Seriously, what was he doing?  
They were the Biker Mice From Mars, for fuck sake.  
And they didn't use doors.

His lips curled into a maniacal smile as he revved his bike.  
The engine roared back loudly, as if it just woke up from a deep slumber, all ready for some action too and the sound was enough to make him reach his limit.  
Enough was just enough.  
And before someone could stop him -or at least _try_ to stop him-, Vinnie hit the accelerator and his bike sped away with dangerous speed, leaving his unfortunate team members behind in a cloud of dust.  
"What is he doing?", Charley coughed as she quickly closed her visor.  
"What he always does", Throttle replied dryly.  
"Being Vinnie", Modo added.  
"He's not gonna crash through our gate, now is he?", Charley asked compellingly when she saw how the white-furred mouse drove straight to the fence without slowing down.  
"Nah. Even he ain't that stupid", Modo reassured her.  
"But how…", she started, but she soon trailed off again.

Because Vinnie had now reached the fence, but instead of going straight through it -or stopping this wild ride-, his front wheel came loose from the ground and with flames coming out of the back, the bike flew straight up.  
"_AAAAOOOWWW!_ Vinnie, the velocity atrocity, grabbing some altitude! Oh _YEAH_!", the white-furred mouse howled happily, glad to finally feel some adrenaline rushing through his veins.  
But it wasn't enough.  
It was never enough.  
So, when he found himself in horizontal flight right above the fence, he slammed his foot on the brake pedal, pulled back his handlebars and opened the throttle a bit further.  
His bike roared in response and the front wheel came up again as the cherry-red racer started to turn in the air.  
Using his weight, the white-furred mouse made a few perfectly smooth somersaults before he started his descent.  
"Bwahaha, see you on the other side, bro's!"  
Charley stared at the point where Vinnie had just disappeared out of sight behind the perimeter, her face completely blank.  
"You were saying?"  
Modo laughed his heavy rumbling laugh when he saw her face.  
"Hey, I said stupid, not _crazy_."  
"Trust me, we're all wondering how he managed to live this long. Crazy kid", Throttle chuckled, but then he too revved his bike, for the gate was now open.  
"Let's ride, bro and ma'am."

**_…_**

Charley had some serious bike skills, Throttle noticed when they made their way through the damaged city of Chicago.  
She drove the impressive machine with a certain calmness and ease, telling the tan-furred mouse she was definitely not a beginner.  
It somehow gave him a reassuring feeling and he now used the time to look around him.  
There wasn't really a way to describe what he was seeing, but if he had to guess, the words _'completely destroyed'_ were able to cover some of the load and he suddenly felt a little homesick.  
It was as sad as much as it was crazy, but seeing the destruction reminded him of Mars, although it weren't all happy memories.  
Still, between the rubble and debris, he could see that Chicago once used to be a beautiful city.  
Kind of like Brimstone on Mars.  
Which was nothing more but a crater now, too.  
"It's kinda sad, huh?"  
Charley's voice broke him out of his thoughts and he looked at his right, straight into her green eyes.  
Her pain was clearly visible and once again, he knew exactly how she felt.  
He knew how it felt to see your home like this, after all.  
It was devastating.  
But it also produced a healthy portion of determination.  
It gave strength.  
To destroy the ones who had destroyed everything that was once important.  
To fight evil till the final breath.  
Since he couldn't find the words, he only nodded in answer to Charley's question.  
She seemed to understand that certain things went beyond words, for she only gave him a small nod back and they both focussed their attention back on the road.

"Gotta say, man, this asphalt thingy is amazing!", Vinnie exclaimed as he used his weight to swirl around the rusting cars that were spread across the road, probably abandoned by their owner the moment the Plutarkian set foot on this planet.  
Or, at least, that applied for the majority, Vinnie found out when he looked inside a big truck he passed.  
It seemed that not everyone had been able to get away in time, sadly enough.  
Either way, since there was only sand on Mars, riding this road made of… _rocks?_... was something else. Charley had told them it was called asphalt and that most of the roads on Earth were made of this hard material.  
It was the same material Throttle had seen shortly after they crashed on this mysterious planet, and it also had been the first sign telling him they weren't alone.  
Oh, and look how right he was.  
Thinking back at that awful moment, he never imagined some of the company on this planet would be this… _pleasant.  
_What a crazy life.  
What a crazy world.  
"Yeah, now I can finally ride with open visor without choking in your dust", Modo sighed happily, loving every minute of the trip. He had yearned for a ride ever since that moment he was patching up his beloved Little Hoss and now he finally felt the wind going through his fur as the sound of a purring engine caressed his eardrums, he felt so much calmer.  
_Yeah.  
_The mass destruction excluded, this was living.

_**...**_

They made it to their goal without too much trouble.  
The biggest challenge had been the road, that was either blocked by rubble or other things or even completely gone at some places.  
But the mice weren't the mice if they didn't make it work and now, Charley pointed at a few buildings closeby.  
"There it is. I can't believe my eyes, it's still standing. Maybe luck is finally on our side for once."  
They all parked their bikes closeby and pulled off their helmets.  
Modo looked at the building, that was indeed still standing, but it was heavily damaged.  
It looked kind of spooky, if he was a mouse to frighten easily, that is.  
However, he wasn't.  
Still, there was a certain tension palpable in the air, one he couldn't give a name.  
"Are you sure this is the right place?", he asked as he took in the surrounding.  
Charley pointed at the blue sign with a white cross above the entrance.  
"I'm positive."  
"Cool. Let's scope it out."  
Of course, Vinnie had no trouble at all with the grimly environment and already set course to the building as he took his gun out of his leg holster.  
The rest followed him, his two bro's making sure that Charley was walking safely between them.  
They both walked backwards to make sure no one could jump on them by surprise.  
But it seemed to be unnecessary for the streets were completely deserted.

Vinnie had now reached the door and he pressed himself against the wall of the building beside it.  
He tightened his grip around his gun and peeked through the glass door.  
"It's too dark, I can't see nothing."  
"You need a flashlight?", Charley asked and she already reached for the one that was attached to her belt, but Vinnie shook his head, almost insulted.  
"Ugh, no. Where's the fun in that?"  
Flexing his muscles to brace himself, he checked the door, but it was locked.  
"We need to play this smooth and subtle, bro's, I don't like the looks of this place, it's too…", Throttle instructed them, but before he could finish his sentence, Vinnie aimed his gun at the door and pulled the trigger without the slightest form of doubt.  
The glass shattered into a million pieces with loud clinking and the sound of the shot echoed through the empty streets.  
"...quiet…", the tan-furred mouse sighed as he shook his head.  
"That is _not_ what I consider as smooth and subtle, Vincent."  
The latter shrugged, as usual, unaware of any wrongdoing.  
"Hey, I could also have used my bazooka, ya know. Well, if it wasn't blown into space by that sewer breath, that is", he grumbled as he stepped inside, still upset by the thought that he had lost his new favorite toy during their also not so cool getaway.  
"Well, if you put it that way…", Charley said in an attempt to be optimistic.  
"Yeah, after all; who can fight logic like that, huh?", the leader of the three groaned a bit tiredly.

"All clear!", they heard Vinnie yelling at them and Throttle squeezed the bridge of his nose.  
"Stay alert, bro's. Something is telling me that we have lost our element of surprise just now."  
"Really? What makes you think that? Was it the gunshot, the shattering glass or Vinnie screaming his head off?", Modo asked dryly as he too stepped inside the building.  
Charley followed him, but Throttle hesitated and glanced over his shoulder one last time.  
The streets were still empty.  
By the looks of things, Vinnie's not so smooth and subtle entrance hadn't alerted the enemy.  
_Yet…  
_He couldn't stop himself from feeling a bit… _anxious_.  
The quietness didn't reassure him, it made him only more jittery.  
His instinct was telling him, no, _screaming_ at him that this was way too easy.  
He wasn't really worried about himself, nor he was worried about his bro's for they were well-trained Freedom Fighters and they had been in tougher scrapes than this.  
But he had this strong, but not quite unexpected need to protect Charley.  
He was more than terrified that something would happen to her.  
More to the point, that something would happen to her under his watch.  
He felt responsible for her.  
But what could he do?  
Apart from being on his guard, nothing.  
So, he followed the rest inside, every sense on high alert.

Vinnie wandered through the store, searching for anything interesting to see, perhaps even looking for trouble since he was still as hyper as a Martian Squirrel Bat having a sugar rush after eating too many seeds of the Martian Pink Seed Plant.  
But the pressing silence told him there was nothing here and the nagging feeling of boredom fed his restlessness even more.  
"Man, what is this, a ghost town? Where are the guns?"  
"Yeah, we were ready for anything, but we weren't ready for nothing…", Modo mumbled as he looked around him, but the store was indeed deserted.  
So was their surrounding, he saw after glancing outside.  
"It's too easy… No fish, no fighting…"  
"No _fun_", Vinnie added a bit annoyed.  
"Maybe because there's nothing here. It's all gone", Charley said disappointed as she wandered along the empty cases, opening drawers on the way.  
She then looked at the mice, a bit confused.  
"Somebody beat us to it."  
Throttle rubbed his chin.  
This somehow didn't make any sense.  
"Why would the Plutarkians steal medical supplies? As far as I know, they have many deficits, but medical supplies isn't one of them."  
"Who cares? Ugh, what a bogus afternoon", Vinnie grumbled, but then his sensitive ears picked something up.  
It was a high tone in the distance, although it seemed to be coming closer, and fast too.  
He slowly walked to the big window that was in front of the store, contemplating why the sound sounded so familiar.

As he looked outside, rubbing his chin, he suddenly realized what it was and he swirled around.  
"Get down. _Now_!", he yelled at his bro's as he threw himself on Charley, who was standing close to him and by the looks of things, completely unaware of the incoming threat.  
Right when Charley fell on her back with the white-furred mouse on top of her, the glass of the window shattered and soon after that, a deafening explosion followed.  
Vinnie made himself as flat as possible, knowing his weight could be too much for the fragile human, but his options were rather limited right now.  
Besides, being crushed to death by his perfect body seemed to be a better way to go than being blown to the seventh galaxy.  
But that was just his humble opinion.  
The flames of the explosion licked his clothes and he gritted his teeth as he tried to shield Charley from both the heat as the flying debris as good as possible.  
Dust now already lingered in the air, forcing him to close his eyes to protect them and the penetrating smell of burned powder tickled his sensitive nostrils.  
And while he was lying there, he realized something.  
Not that the was very close to being killed by an explosion like a normal person would do, but that he didn't recognize the smell.  
Well, he recognized it as the typical scent one could smell after an explosion, but it was different from the ones he was used to.  
And as he was trying to figure out what it was that made it so different, big chunks of rocks flew all over the place, but it seemed that he had a little guardian angel on his shoulders because they all missed him.  
The smaller pieces, however, didn't.  
But that he could handle.  
As long as it wasn't big enough to make his head explode like a Martian Mellon Mellon, he was good.  
And then, as soon as it started, it was over again and silence dawned upon them, the soft sound of the last falling rocks fading away.

A high beep in his ears prevented him from hearing his bro's heartbeat or anything else that could tell him that they were okay, but he suddenly felt movement under him and he opened his eyes.  
His nose was just inches away from Charley's, who still had her eyes firmly shut, just like her mouth.  
Since she was close enough, he was perfectly able to hear her heart racing in her chest, in fact, he even felt it fluttering against his torso.  
She wasn't breathing, though.  
Probably because he was still lying on top of her.  
The white-furred mouse placed his hands next to her head and pushed himself up.  
But his lower body was still in contact with hers and because of the adrenaline that had spread through his body like wildfire from the moment he'd realized the familiar sound was a missile coming their way, Vinnie was more than just aware of every nerve ending in his entire body.  
Feeling her underneath him, how parts of their bodies were pressed against each other made him suddenly shiver in desire.  
Her scent now joined the mix of dust and burned powder, making him even more aroused and his fur bristled.  
He knew he had to move, to create some distance, but he couldn't overcome himself to do it.  
_Oh boy..._

Charley moaned softly and opened her eyes.  
After blinking a few times, she seemed to come back to reality and her eyes locked with his.  
"You okay, sweetheart?", Vinnie asked softly.  
He didn't like the tone of his voice.  
It was too raw.  
Too low.  
Too… _dirty.  
_Apparently, she noticed it too, in fact, it even seemed to do something to her, because her heartbeat increased further, so was her breathing.  
Vinnie's arms started to tremble, and not because they were carrying almost his entire weight and he bit his lower lip, using the pain to stay on point, for he was balancing on the edge of a cliff now.  
Under no circumstances could he allow himself to fall down, not now.  
Probably not ever.  
_Focus.  
_"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine, I guess…", Charley eventually answered his question.  
When the young mouse caught the low tone in her voice, one that usually wasn't there, he grinded his teeth and his tail twitched.  
He needed to get off of her.  
As in, right now.  
Because he wasn't sure how much longer he was able to control himself.

Luckily for him, the beep in his ears decreased and he now heard some muffled sounds that told him his two best friends were at least very much alive.  
That was enough to snap him out of this almost overwhelming and burning desire.  
And reality slapped him the face.  
They were just _bombed_ for fuck sake, and here he was, close to ripping off the clothes of a woman who only lay under him because he had to protect her from the explosion.  
_Holy shit.  
_That was just downright corny _and _cheap, even for him.  
Yeah, well.  
He couldn't help it that explosions and hot biker babes were kind of a turn on.  
Add these two things together and the outcome just made him even more… _eager. _

Still, this tension, this sexual tension, needed to be diffused, rather sooner than later.  
And not in the way he wanted it to diffuse.  
So, after scraping together every piece of self-control he owned -which wasn't much, but it was enough for now-, he flashed her his most charming smile.  
"If this is a taste of being your bodyguard, where do I sign?", and he wiggled his eyebrows.  
Charley rolled her eyes, but he could see that she tried very hard not to smile.  
But before she could say something back, Vinnie felt a hand grabbing his hoodie and he got pulled away from the human.  
And even before he heard Modo's hissing voice in his ear, he already knew it was him.  
Of course it was.  
The guy was watching him like a Martian Hawky Hawk over the past few days.  
"You need to control your hormones, Vincent, you're playing with fire here."  
And the grey-furred giant pushed his young bro away, a bit harder than he intended.  
Vinnie stumbled a few passes but managed to stay on his feet.  
And although he knew perfectly well where Modo was getting at, he still felt a bit annoyed.  
He just saved the girl's life, risking his own life in the process and this was his thanks?  
_Ugh.  
_Besides, he didn't ask for this.  
It just happened.  
"Man. The story of my life. No appreciation", he grumbled as he folded his arms.

Modo ignored him and offered Charley a hand.  
"Are you okay, Charley ma'am?"  
The human female took his hand.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Jesus. What the hell happened?"  
"Somebody out there doesn't like us", Throttle's husky voice now joined them and the tan-furred mouse popped up next to Vinnie, who stood close by the crater that was made by the explosion.  
"We're lucky that this building is still standing."  
His face was devoid of any expression, telling Modo that he was the only one who had seen the small… _moment_ their youngest bro had with Charley.  
Of course, he didn't miss it since he was keeping a close eye on the so-called Romeo of their small, but successful group after their little chat in Ben's lab.  
Nevertheless, it seemed they had bigger problems now.

"Well, that _somebody _ain't Plutarkian, bro's", Vinnie pointed out as he pulled something out the pile of rubble.  
After blowing off the dust, he showed it to his bro's.  
"It's a piece of the warhead they used and surprise, surprise… it's not made of Plutarkian steel. And I just happen to know that all Plutarkian missiles usually are."  
"Maybe they used a different material? Ya know, changing their game plan for once?", Modo suggested, not entirely convinced and a bit lost where his young bro was going with this.  
But Vinnie shook his head.  
"Come on, we all know the fish ain't that smart. Besides, I didn't recognize the scent of the gunpowder they used. So, and I'm sorry if it disappoints ya to hear I'm right, big fella, but this…-", and he held up the small piece.  
"This is definitely not made on Plutark."  
"What are you saying here?", Charley asked confused.  
"I'm saying that apparently, the fish ain't the only threat out there."  
"We need to get out of here. Now", Throttle ordered, not liking the way this was going.  
No, he was not liking this at all.  
He knew Vinnie was right, given the boy's obsession with everything that could blow something -or someone- up he knew damn well where he was talking about, after all.  
It also proved that his instinct was right all along.  
Of course it was.  
It always was.  
Something was wrong here.  
And it smelled a lot like a trap.

"Uhm, bro's? We've got company…", Modo confirmed his thought, standing by the broken window.  
The wind blew softly through his fur, but he hardly noticed.  
His gaze was fixed on the four trucks that were standing a few feet away with running engines, the headlights pointed in their direction.  
That wasn't exactly a matter of serious concern.  
The heavy machine guns on top, however, were.  
And so were the humans who manned them.  
They looked different than the humans he had met so far.  
Well, of course, they looked the same, but their vibe wasn't.  
It lacked the kindness the people from Camp Hope had in abundance.  
These people were obviously up to no good.  
"You know these guys, sweetheart?", Vinnie asked as he turned his gaze from the threat outside to Charley, who shook her head a bit flabbergasted.  
"No. I've never seen them before… I didn't even know that there were more of us out there…"

"Well, whoever they are, they got us surrounded", Throttle pointed out as he quickly scanned their surrounding with his bionic eyes.  
"And they're packing some serious heat."  
Things weren't looking good.  
But, of course, there was at least _one _of them who had no problem with this sudden turn of events.  
When Vinnie took in the dire position they were in, he fanned fresh air to himself, pretending to be close to fainting.  
"_Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing..._", he almost sung dramatically as he grabbed his chest.  
"Trapped like mice, with no way out, _gosh… _Talk about your major impending catastrophe…"  
For a moment, it looked like he was genuinely worried about their plight, but then a huge smile almost split his face in half, his ruby-red eyes sparkling from excitement.  
"I _love _it!"  
Charley stared at him for a moment before she turned her attention back to Throttle and Modo.  
"So now what?"  
"Hmmm. Well. Only one thing to do", the tan-furred mouse answered calmly with a small smile.  
"Yep. Doing what we do best", Modo agreed, putting his arms around his bro's neck to pull them closer.  
Charley clearly wasn't following them and she shifted her weight in impatience.  
"And that is?"  
"_Whip some tail!_", the three mice howled in unison and they pumped their fist in the air.  
The human female rolled her eyes, probably because of the sudden amount of testosterone in the air.  
"Honestly…"

"Man, this is gonna be one rockin' party!", Vinnie cheered, hardly able to restrain himself any longer.  
Finally.  
_Finally_, he was gonna get his fight.  
"Yeah, but if we're gonna dance, we're gonna need our partners!", and Modo brought his fingers to his mouth to whistle for their bikes.  
The heavy machines immediately started their engines, except for Charley's bike -of course- and soon, the mice were back in the saddle.  
"Hey, what about me?", Charley demanded, probably knowing she couldn't run out to get her bike.  
Vinnie looked over his shoulder.  
"Sorry, Charley-girl, but it's time for the big boys to play!"  
The human female folded her arms, clearly not impressed nor amused by the high machismo rating.  
"Oh yeah? Well, let me know if you see any."  
"Ouch, harsh, babe", the white-furred mouse breathed, but in reality not even slightly hurt by her retort.  
"You stay here and hide, Charley. We'll handle this", Throttle told her, still feeling that strong need to protect her.  
The fact that she had managed to stay alive in this world for six years already all by herself conveniently forgotten.

Charley opened her mouth, probably to protest, but the humans outside were, apparently, done waiting and opened fire.  
Why it had taken them so long to attack was a puzzle to all of them, although it probably had something to do with the mice, for they were something one didn't see every day.  
Not even in an alien apocalypse.  
Charley quickly dove out of the fireline, straight into the crater.  
After a few head rollers, she landed on her feet and grabbed her gun.  
"I've got your back. Now _go_!"  
"The lady has a real way with words, I mean, why are we still standing here?", Vinnie snickered and he looked at his two best friends.  
Modo pushed a button on his bike and his cannons popped out.  
"Good question."  
Knowing that this was the safest place to be for Charley right now, Throttle closed his visor with a steady hand and an amused look on his face.  
Despite his worries for Charley, he too now felt the lovely effect of adrenaline rushing through his veins.  
That tended to happen when the bullets started to fly.  
It made him more than ready.  
"I hear you, bro's. I think it's time to tell these bozos that shooting at mice comes with a price. Politely of course", and he popped a wheelie, so did his comrades.  
"Let's _rock_..."  
"...and _ride_!"


	17. Chapter 17

Hey there!

Thank you so much for the reviews! :D

So, I had to overcome a huge writer's block before I was finally able to finish this chapter.  
BUT... victory is mine.  
I hope you guys like it.

Enjoy and feel free to leave a review when you're done.  
Till next time, my loyal readers.

Later dudes!

* * *

**Chapter 17 **

'_Now what's a party without a few good booms?'_

The front wheels of the bikes touched the ground at the same time and with roaring engines, the three brave warriors of Mars threw themselves into chaos.  
The four trucks -all equipped with a most deadly machine gun- also came into movement, still firing at the mice who, in turn, avoided the bullets with ease.  
Throttle tried to catch a glimpse of the faces of the people who manned the heavy artillery, dying to look them in the eye to find a clue about their true intentions, but he quickly saw it was a waste of energy.  
They all had their faces covered with a red and white checkered scarf, shades and a black hat, giving them total anonymity, much to his annoyance.  
Their clothes were pretty much all the same, army-green with black combat boots, but Throttle didn't believe that these guys were part of the US Army, simply because their attack was too well-executed.  
Besides, if he had to believe Charley, the US Army had fallen a long time ago now.  
The only thing their appearance disclosed was a well-trained body and, as he already had seen right before hell broke loose, they were all armed to the teeth.  
These findings added together leaded Throttle to only one conclusion; these guys knew the ropes.  
Well, unfortunately for them, he and his bro's did too.

"Split and hit, boys. Let's take them out, quickly and efficiently", the tan-furred mouse ordered and he focussed his attention on the truck in the middle.  
After pushing a few buttons on his dashboard, weapons came out his bike as he zigzagged his way to the truck in order to avoid the hail of bullets coming from the top.  
More than a thousand questions raised in his head and since he couldn't read their faces, there was one question that prevailed.  
_Who were these guys and why did they attack so violently?  
_Although he would love to just ask them, he knew they were way past that from the moment that missile made impact.  
They had tried to kill him and his bro's.  
They had tried to kill Charley.  
Oh yeah.  
The time for talk was _definitely_ over.

"I can't remember inviting you guys to this party. But, lucky for you, I'm a reasonable mouse. So here's a little welcome gift", Throttle smiled and he pushed another button.  
"Try it. It's to die for…"  
A missile left his bike with a sizzling sound and disappeared under the truck.  
The guy on top seemed to know what was going to happen and tried to jump off, but he was too late.  
The explosion made the big vehicle fly into the air as if it was nothing more than a feather of the Martian Volly Vulture dancing in the wind and after a few spins, it landed upside down with a loud crack.  
It was clear that it was no longer a threat and Throttle shook his head as he drove further.  
"_Tsk_, _tsk_, _tsk_. Rule number one of party crashing; blend in with the crowd. _Everybody_ knows that."

Meanwhile, Modo drove towards the truck on the left, his eye glowing red.  
He wasn't really sure why they were now suddenly _fighting_ the humans instead of _helping_ them in their fight against the real threat here; the Plutarkians.  
But, he was a soldier and did what he was trained to do.  
Stand his ground and fight back.  
As he made his way closer to the truck, he raised his bionic arm, expecting the lethal weapon inside to pop out in one smooth movement, like it always did.  
But instead of the soft and familiar zooming sound, Modo suddenly heard a terrible squeaking one and he narrowed his eye in confusion as he looked at his arm.  
Only to see that the blaster got stuck halfway out.  
"What the…"  
This had never happened before and his confusion distracted him more than he could afford right now.  
"Just. Come. Out. Already. You. Stupid. Thing!", the grey-furred giant growled annoyed, shaking his arm with every word with all his strength -which must have been a ridiculous sight-, but it was no use.  
The gun was stuck and by the looks of things, it wasn't going to move either.

His bike suddenly beeped loudly and he looked up with a jerk, seeing that he was about to crash against the big truck.  
"Oh momma!"  
Gritting his teeth, he threw his entire weight to the right and hit the brakes. With loud shrieking and burning rubber, his bike made a 180.  
Modo almost lost his balance, but he managed to get his bike back upright and he hit the accelerator again.  
"Well, as my old grey-furred momma used to say: _'The real magic happens when you start to improvise'_."  
So, after creating enough distance, Modo pushed a button on his right handlebar and two small rockets flew out of the back of his bike.  
But, small or not, they were strong enough to blow up the whole cabin of the truck, including the ones inside and the gun on top.  
"And, as always, she's right", Modo smiled, patting his bike lovingly on the side.

As his bro's took care of the trucks on his left, Vinnie sped towards the one on the right.  
When he was up to speed, he let go of the handlebars and grabbed the two small bazooka's that now came out of both sides of his bike.  
They weren't that big and awesome as the one he had lost during their getaway, but hey, it were still bazooka's.  
And bazooka's made big booms.  
"Hey there! I'd like you to meet my dates! This is De…-", he snickered as he aimed the right bazooka. "-...and this is Stroy", and he now aimed the left bazooka too.  
"Why they're called like that, you ask? Well, because together, they _destroy_! Bwahaha!", and Vinnie pulled both triggers.  
As soon as the missile's left both weapons, the white-furred mouse made a sharp turn to the right by using his weight to prevent himself from getting caught up in the upcoming and by him created explosion.  
That would be so uncool.  
Right after he'd passed the truck, it literally exploded into a million pieces and the force almost knocked him off his bike.  
But that didn't spoil the fun.  
No, it only made it even more enjoyable.  
The adrenaline level in his blood was now high enough to chase away that awful restlessness and he finally felt alive again.  
"Alright! Vinnie van Victory triumphs again!"

"Three down, one to go. Let's make the most of it", Throttle's husky voice was heard over the radio.  
"Aaaooow, music to my oversized ears!", Vinnie howled back.  
"Let's claim our victory, Biker Mice style", Modo rumbled.  
They all three drove straight towards the last truck as they fired a rocket and with the biggest boom of the day so far, the truck flew away.  
Modo waved at it with a smile on his face.  
"Toodles!"  
Vinnie popped a wheelie and made a few spins on his rear wheel, almost exploding out of his fur of excitement.  
"_AAAAAOOOWW_! Oh yeah, I just _luh-ove_ a spectacular ending!"  
"_Well, that can be arranged_", a strange voice came over the radio.  
"Huh?"

But before they had the chance to figure out what was happening, a deafening explosion close behind Vinnie made him fly off his bike.  
And since he wasn't prepared for this at all, there was nothing he could do to turn his fall into a more controlled landing.  
With a loud crack, the right side of his head hit the ground first and he slid over the asphalt a couple of meters before he came to a halt.  
"Vincent!", Throttle called out startled and he turned his bike, but suddenly, another group of humans came out of every side street.  
On foot this time, but it didn't make them less dangerous and the tan-furred mouse had no other choice but to turn tail when they all opened fire.  
"Modo, check on Vinnie. I'll keep them busy", he ordered over the radio when he saw that the grey-furred giant had a clear path to their fallen comrade.  
"On it."

When he was close enough, Modo jumped off Lil' Hoss even before she skidded to a halt.  
"Vinnie, Vinnie, are you okay, bro?", he asked worriedly as he kneeled next to the white-furred mouse who lay on his stomach on the dusty asphalt.  
The latter moaned and slowly pushed himself up.  
"Ugh, I'm fine. Let's hear it for helmets. Probably saved my skull."  
He already tried to stand up again, but his legs gave out from the moment he put some weight on them.  
Lucky for him, Modo had some fine reflexes and he caught his youngest bro right before he hit the ground again.  
"Whoa, easy now, little bro. You took quite the knocking."  
"The whole world is spinning, Modo, you see that?", Vinnie asked a bit dazed, pointing a trembling finger in the air.  
Modo shook his head and lifted his bionic arm.  
"How many fingers am I holdi… _WHOA_!", he suddenly called out and the young mouse almost jumped out of his fur by this sudden and unexpected volume, but the grey-furred giant gave him no time to react.  
"Your eye! What happened to your eye?"

Vinnie blinked a few times.  
"My eye?"  
But then the words dawned on him.  
"_What_?! Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?! Is it still there? It's not gone, is it? _Is it_?!", he demanded a bit panicked as he opened his visor, suddenly overwhelmed by the fear that his eye was gone.  
Which was ridiculous, because he still had perfect vision, even though the world was still a bit shaky.  
Besides, eyes didn't just vanish into thin air.  
Not that he was an expert in losing eyes, but he figured that would be accompanied by both pain and blood, which were both absent.  
Still, seeing Modo's shock made him more than just jumpy for this was his handsome face they were talking about.  
Which had already taken enough beating for the rest of his -hopefully long and with action-filled- life.  
Right before he could touch his face, Modo grabbed his hand and pushed it down.  
"Don't touch it."  
"Modo, you need to tell me what's going on, man!"  
"It's… _white_. Your eye is white."  
"Huh?"

"Guys, I hate to break up your moment, but they have a tank", Throttle's voice interrupted calmly yet urgently.  
"But Throttle, my eye…", Vinnie started to protest, but then his bruised brain processed the words.  
"A tank, you say?"  
His eye and the panic suddenly forgotten, the young mouse became aware of his surroundings again and he now felt the ground tremble under his feet.  
Both him and Modo looked at their right, seeing that their bro was right.  
Of course he was.  
A battle such as this one wasn't a joke.  
So wasn't this tank.  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes, quickly connecting the dots and now understanding it was this specific tank that had blown him off of his bike.  
He grinded his teeth in annoyance and pushed Modo away.  
"No worries, bro. I'll take care of it", the young mouse growled and stumbled to his bike.  
"No, you're not in the condition to…", but Throttle couldn't finish his sentence, because the humans now doubled their efforts to blow his head off, forcing the tan-furred mouse to focus his attention on them instead of stopping a certain white-furred mouse with a bruised ego from doing something stupid.  
"Say big fella, I could use a little help here."  
Modo jumped back on his bike and closed his visor.  
"Guess they're ready for round two, lil' darling. Let's show them who really is the best."  
His bike beeped back almost happily and with shrieking tires, they rushed over to Throttle to help him.

Meanwhile, Vinnie was already speeding towards the tank, giving it no time to fire again.  
He was still a bit dizzy, but his busted ego forced his body to produce another shot of adrenaline, exactly what he needed to keep going.  
"I'm the one who makes the big booms here, _no _exception."  
Pulling back his handlebars, he fired his jets and his bike flew up in the air.  
When he was right above the tank, he searched for the one thing that would make him able to take out this almost indestructible machine.  
Apparently, tanks here on Earth were not that different from the ones he knew from the war on Mars and with his lips now curled into an almost devilish grin, he jumped off his bike.  
"Stay close, sweetheart."  
With a loud bang, the white-furred daredevil landed on top of the tank, already reaching for a grenade from his belt.  
As he bend down to open the small hatch, the one and only entrance of the tank, he pulled the pin out with his teeth.  
With loud squeaking, the hatch opened and the young mouse threw the now ticking bomb inside.  
"Here, have a blast. My treat."

Right before he dropped the heavy hatch, he saw a glimpse of a shocked face, but he didn't feel the slightest remorse.  
Nope, these guys blew up their chances at the same time their missile exploded in that store.  
No one messed with the Biker Mice From Mars or endangered beautiful ladies such as Charley without paying the price.  
Besides, they were the ones who had started this party in the first place.  
And he had no problem with giving them what they wanted.  
Vinnie whistled between his teeth and his bike pulled up next to the tank.  
In one smooth movement, he jumped back in the saddle and quickly sped the other way.  
"Three… two… one… _boom_", he chuckled darkly and indeed, the tank exploded right on cue.  
"_Ha_! And, as usual, I have the last word. Or perhaps I should say; the last _boom_, muahaha."  
Now that was being handled, the white-furred mouse turned his bike and focussed his attention on his two bro's, who were having both hands and tail full with the small army that tried to blow them to the seventh galaxy.  
But before he could join the party, the same strange voice came over the speakers, sounding almost lazy.  
"_Hold your fire. I've got me a hostage here…_"

Throttle's heart just dropped when he heard these words, for he already knew there could only be one the hostage and it weren't his bro's.  
He looked over his shoulder to see one of the human's holding Charley, who was struggling to get free and his fur bristled in anger as he hit the brakes.  
"Let me go, you big lummox!"  
But of course, the man didn't.  
"_I suggest you surrender, otherwise her pretty little brains will be scattered throughout the pavement. That would be such a shame, don't you agree?_", asked the voice with a drawl.  
Throttle tried to see where the voice was coming from, for it wasn't the man who was holding Charley.  
That was probably just a soldier following orders.  
Then again, loyalty was one of the most dangerous opponents.  
The tan-furred mouse clenched his teeth, knowing there was only one option for now.  
They couldn't take any chances, not with Charley's life on the line.  
"Lift them, partners."  
"Ah, man. I hate it when this happens…", Vinnie sighed, but raised his hands.  
So did Modo as he too heaved a sigh in reluctance.  
"_A very wise decision… Grab them._"

The leftover humans dragged the mice off of their bikes and roughly pulled off their helmets.  
"Hey man, easy on the merchandise", Vinnie protested when the guy almost ripped off an ear in the process, but the human ignored him.  
After tying their hands behind their backs, the human soldiers pushed the mice towards the pharmacy, where the same guy was still holding Charley.  
"You got us now, so let the lady go. She's got nothing to do with this", Throttle hissed between clenched teeth, hardly able to control himself when he saw the gun that was held against Charley's temple.  
"Whatever this is", Modo added, since they still had no idea what the hell was going on here.  
"Nah. I'm not in the mood for graciousness today. I woke up feeling strangely resentful. That happens sometimes. It's nothing personal, though. Just business. Besides, she's got _everything _to do with this."

Throttle followed the sound of the cold voice and his gaze landed on a man who now stepped out of the pharmacy through the shattered window with his hands behind his back, as if he was taking a stroll on a sunny day instead of playing with lives.  
He was about Modo's size and wore the same clothing as his comrades.  
The only difference was that his face wasn't covered and a shiver ran down Throttle's spine when his bionic eyes locked with the deep-blue ones of the man who now stood next to Charley.  
He was no mouse to frighten easily for many obvious reasons and to say that he was scared of the man might be overstating it.  
Still, he felt a chill building up inside by looking into the ice-cold eyes and he knew this had to be the leader of this bunch of well-trained misfits.  
Not that it clarified whatever it was that was happening here.  
It only confirmed that they were in trouble, for he could tell this was no man one wanted to mess with.  
Not even a mouse.

"My, my. That was quite the performance, I must confess. But it ends here."  
The man seemed to be highly amused, which was weird given the fact that even though the mice were now his prisoners, _he_ was the one who just got his butt kicked, after all.  
Well, perhaps not weird.  
_Worrying _came closer.  
For there's one thing that Throttle had learned from previous experience, amused villains were the worst and most dangerous too.  
It meant they were in control and even worse, they were highly aware of their role as puppetmaster.  
"Who are you?"

The man smiled, revealing a sparkling set of white teeth.  
"Usually I don't need to introduce myself. Everyone between the borders of Chicago knows who I am."  
"Yeah, well, we're not really from around here, as you can see", Vinnie snapped at him.  
"No. But she is", and the man pointed at Charley, who looked back at him with fuming eyes.  
It appeared that the human female didn't like to get caught, but then again, who did?  
"I've never seen you before in my entire life and trust me, I would've remembered your ugly face", she spat out as she still struggled to get free.  
Despite the gravity of the situation, Throttle couldn't stop himself from feeling a bit proud when he saw her fire.  
Unfortunately, it reminded him of someone at the same time, someone he didn't want to think about and he gave himself a mental shake.  
Now wasn't the time to get all sentimental.  
There were far more important matters to deal with.  
How to get out of this precarious situation, for instance.

The man wasn't impressed by Charley's fury, well, not in a good way, that is.  
"Such a temper", he smiled with a hint of admiration on his face.  
"I now understand why Max was so crazy about you. You two were obviously a match made in heaven."  
He might as well have dropped another bomb.  
Charley stopped struggling from the moment she heard Max's his name and her eyes grew big when she looked at the man next to her, confusion written all over her face.  
"You know Max?"  
Throttle didn't miss the fact that the man talked about Max in the past tense, a finding that made him even more restless.  
Apparently, this guy knew his facts, but how was still a puzzle to the tan-furred leader.  
More questions started to raise.  
_Who was this guy and what else did he know?  
__What was he to Max? _

"Oh, sweet ignorant Charley. I know everyone who sets foot in Chi-Town. Including your overbiting friends here", and he now focussed his attention on the mice.  
"The Biker Mice From Mars…"  
There was this awful pejorative tone in his voice that didn't elude the tan-furred mouse, but it was still confusion that prevailed.  
It started to annoy him, actually.  
"Look, you better stop talking in riddles, I…", but the man cut him off as if Throttle wasn't even there, his ice-cold eyes now twinkling in amusement and even worse, arrogance.  
"Really, who came up with that name? I can't stop myself from imagining you waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror and then all seriously saying to yourselves: 'You know what would be a really kick-ass name? _The Biker Mice From Mars_!'", and the man burst into laughter, so did, as if on cue, the rest of his soldiers.

The mice, however, were far from amused.  
As if getting caught wasn't bad enough already.  
"Swell. Looks like our reputation is proceeding us, boys. Laugh all you want, but we _do _know how to kick some ass", Throttle answered meaningful, referring to the destruction behind them.  
"Yeah, and if you hadn't stopped us, we would've won too", Modo told him.  
"But my guess is that you already knew that. After all, why else would you lower yourself to taking a woman as a hostage, huh?", Vinnie concluded with a challenging look on his face.  
But the man didn't stop laughing as expected, no…  
Their words just made him laugh even harder and the white-furred mouse shared a confused look with his bro's, not amused by the fact that their macho talk didn't work the way it usually did.  
"What the fuck is wrong with him?"  
"I dunno. Maybe he's having a seizure or something", Modo shrugged.  
"Looks like a case of very bad sense of humor if you ask me", Throttle mused as a thought popped up in his mind, one he didn't like but was true.  
_They weren't exactly in control of the situation. _

It was Charley who stopped this madness, although not in the way one would expect it to be.  
"Wait a minute... I _do _know you. You're the Boogeyman…"  
The laughter stopped quite abruptly and the man turned his head towards the human female, who was staring back at him.  
"I thought it were just rumors, made up by desperate people, but it is you, right?", she asked with a trembling voice, her bravado suddenly nowhere to be found.  
That alarmed Throttle, but of course, someone else completely missed this pretty obvious warning signal.  
"Okay, okay, hold up a second. Lemme get this straight. You're standing here, making fun of our name while your name is… _Boogeyman_?", Vinnie asked with a voice thick of suppressed laughter, clearly trying to keep his face in check.  
But, of course, that failed and before the man could answer the question, the white-furred mouse already burst into laughter.  
"You're joking me, right?! Boogeyman, oh gosh, of all the names, bwahahaha!"

Modo bit his lower lip, but unfortunately for him, his young bro had quite the infectious laugh and besides, the name was indeed beyond ridiculous.  
So, whether he liked it or not, he soon joined the young mouse with his heavy and rumbling laugh.  
Throttle too felt his lips curl into a smile, but he kept a close eye on the man.  
He probably wouldn't appreciate his bro's making fun of him, but to his utter surprise, the human only shrugged.  
"I go by many names. Truly uninspiring this one, I agree. I prefer my real name, but what can you do? People talk."  
Vinnie was still laughing his head off, almost dangling in the grip of the human who was still holding him and for the first time since the man had revealed himself, Throttle could see a hint of annoyance shine through his mask of smugness.  
So the man wasn't entirely in control, or so it seemed.  
The question was; was he going to crack?

The answer to that question was definitely no, because the man recovered himself so quickly that Throttle suddenly started to doubt his vision.  
Perhaps he just imagined it, for his eyes were still stinging.  
In fact, it seemed to get worse by the day.  
_Such an unimportant detail for such a dire situation.  
_Either way, instead of telling the two laughing mice to shut up, or make them by hitting them, the big human male ignored them.  
Which was probably even worse.  
Scratch probably.  
It _was _worse.  
Way worse.

For it meant that he didn't take them seriously, a thing all three mice hated to the core.  
Especially Vinnie, who's middle name was Provoking, stopped laughing pretty quickly when he noticed that the man was giving them the silent treatment.  
In fact, the young mouse's mood switched from amused to annoyed with the snap of a finger.  
Annoyed that this man, standing in front of them, still wasn't taking the bait presented by him.  
Making the bad guy mad was a tactic he and his bro's -but especially him- had used many times already and it had proven to be a trusty one too, simply because angry people made mistakes much easier than the cold and calculated ones.  
Unfortunately for Vinnie, they were clearly dealing with the latter here.  
"Ugh man, you're no fun", he grumbled and if his hands weren't tied behind his back, he would've folded his arms.  
He might even stomp his feet like a petulant child if Throttle hadn't once told him that it didn't exactly match with his tough exterior.

The man didn't seem to hear him, or he was still ignoring the mice, which was a very distinct possibility given his previous behavior.  
"Anyway, all jokes aside… I came here to talk business. It has come to my attention that Max is no longer with us, may his lovely corrupted and wicked soul rest in peace. That means someone needs to take over his cases. And I assume that someone will be you, my sweet Charlene. But you already knew that this day would come, I guess. See this as a simple and friendly reminder."  
Charley glanced at the man with a mix of anger, confusion and insecurity.  
"My name is _Charley_. And what do you mean, his cases?"  
"He didn't tell you", the man stated as he studied Charley's face with a frown.  
He probably had thought that the feisty mechanic was lying to him about not knowing what was going on here, but not even Charley could play the genuine confusion which was now radiated by her whole appearance.  
"Obviously."  
"Well, then I think it's time that I properly introduce myself. My _true _name is Dante and I'm the ruler of the windy city of Chicago. My job is simple. You see, everyone who wants to settle down in this town needs to contribute and follow the rules, _my _rules, in order for the Human race to survive. I make sure that they do."

Modo narrowed his one eye, already knowing with which they were dealing with here, for this wasn't the first time that they stumbled across people like Dante.  
"Using war and misery to seize power, huh? How noble."  
"I've been called a lot of things, but noble isn't one of them. And I don't pretend that I am. I'm doing what no else dares to do, namely; bringing order in a world of chaos, which makes me unloved. But that's okay. I'm rather feared than loved. Makes ruling a lot easier. Less betrayal."  
"And what has Max got to do with this?", Charley interfered with a trembling voice.  
"As I was saying, everyone needs to do its part. This implies sharing food, weapons, clothes, you name it. Everything that comes over the border of Chicago is mine and I alone decide what happens with it. Max took the deal years ago already."  
"What deal?"  
"That twenty-five percent of everything that you think you own goes to me."

Throttle couldn't believe his oversized ears.  
Modo was right, this guy took advantage of the war and not in a good way.  
This had nothing to do with the survival of the Human race, merely his own survival.  
He used the people, preyed on them in their weakest moment for his own purposes, too lazy to do _his _part by himself.  
This man clearly only cared about himself and didn't even bother to be something else who he was to Throttle.  
_A power-hungry criminal.  
_And a formidable opponent, he needed to give him that.  
Even though the game he played was beyond dirty, he'd played it well.  
_Smart_.  
Because it was general knowledge that when life took a drastic turn such as this one here on Earth, most people didn't know what to do.  
They were used to someone telling them what to do, to walk in line, even though they hated it at the same time.  
But despair was a strong emotion and this man named Dante had responded to this quite clever by taking the lead at the exact right moment.  
He bought their loyalty by saving them, blinding them in the process.  
And that gave him power.  
A lot of power.

But not Charley.  
And not because she had resisted this man, no, simply because she didn't know.  
Max hadn't told her and when Throttle glanced at her, he could see that this fact bordered dangerously close to betrayal, a matter close to her heart.  
He could hardly look into her sad eyes, to witness her realizing that everything with Max now seemed to be a lie, because if he had kept something this big from her, what else was there to discover?  
_Poor Charley.  
_The things he would do to just take her in his arms...  
"So all this time… All this time, Max gave away our stuff? To… you?"  
"Love. It's elusive", Dante only answered vaguely, still with a smile on his face.  
But it didn't reach his eyes.  
His ice-cold eyes…

Throttle shook his head.  
This whole thing didn't make any sense.  
At all.  
There was still a piece of the puzzle missing here.  
"If you only wanted to talk business, then why did you try to kill us?"  
"There's a bounty on your head", Dante simply answered.  
That was hardly the answer they expected and four mouths dropped as if on cue.  
It would've been funny if they weren't in such a dire situation.  
"A bounty?", the tan-furred mouse repeated confusedly.  
"Yes, a bounty."  
"A bounty?", Modo now asked, just in case he heard it wrong.  
"A bounty."  
"A bounty?", Charley breathed, her green eyes wide open in shock.  
"If you guys are done with your little _a_ _capella_ session, I'm dying to hear who had the nerve to put a price on our heads", Vinnie intervened, curious and impatient as ever.

Dante shrugged, as if that wasn't important.  
It clearly wasn't for him.  
Luckily, he did answer the question.  
"Some big fish who pulls the strings from California. I believe his name is Lawrence Limburger. He offers a great amount of money to the one who brings him the Biker Mice From Mars. Dead or alive."  
"So that's what this is about? Getting rich at the expense of your own people? The fish destroyed your planet! Why would you give them what they want?", Modo asked, his eye now glowing red and almost shaking in anger.  
Next to rats, he _hated _traitors.  
In his opinion, there was no difference between them.  
But Dante shook his head, still calm and very much in control.  
"I don't. Just as I didn't try to kill you. I was just curious to see you fight. I don't need money. I've got everything I need right here", and he spread his arms to strengthen his words.  
"Besides, I don't work for the Fish-Heads. The only thing I'm grateful for is them killing my mother-in-law. Truly the most annoying woman I've ever met, I'm glad she and her incessant cackling are gone."  
Charley and Throttle shared a quick look.  
'_Crazy'_, the tan-furred mouse mouthed.  
'_Obviously'_, she mouthed back.

"I can tell you guys were close. Now tell me, what would happen if we, _hypothetically_ speaking of course, tell you to kiss your ass and go fuck yourself with that deal?", Vinnie asked innocently, still hoping to break Dante's armor.  
"Then I'll destroy your camp, with everyone and everything still in it", Dante answered casually as he studied his nails, the paragon of a man who clearly felt invincible.  
He then looked at the white-furred mouse, his face still giving nothing more away than smugness and arrogance.  
"_Hypothetically_, of course", he added just as innocently.  
Vinnie grinded his teeth in annoyance, but after a warning glare from Throttle, he kept his mouth shut.  
Which was good, because the tan-furred mouse had a strong feeling that cracking this armor would only have one outcome and it wasn't just an ego boost.  
No, it was much more deadly than that.  
And it wasn't worth it.

"So. What's your answer?", Dante asked calmly as he now polished his nails to his shirt and Throttle stopped himself right on time from asking if he perhaps needed a nail file.  
This man crawled under his fur and skin, and that usually didn't happen that easily.  
But this attitude… as if he was _joking _them.  
As if this whole war, along with the pain, the misery that came with it was nothing more but a joke.  
It made him sick.  
Still.  
The tan-furred mouse had seen enough to know that the man was being deadly serious.  
And he also knew that Dante had enough resources and people working for him that not even he and his bro's could stop him from keeping his promise if they decided to say no.  
Who was he kidding anyway?  
As if they had a choice.  
The man was gambling with the lives of the people of Camp Hope.  
_Innocent _lives.  
There was only one move left for them.  
_Fold._

He looked at Charley, seeing that she was still conflicted about what to do, which was a bit weird because he knew she was smart enough to conclude what he had just concluded.  
But if Throttle had to guess, she was still processing everything that happened here and most of all, Max his betrayal.  
So, the tan-furred mouse looked back at Dante as he made the decision for her by simply following his instinct.  
"We'll give you thirty-five percent if you promise to protect our camp as one of your own."  
Charley's head jerked up and she looked at Throttle with a hint of anger on her face.  
She probably felt passed over, which wasn't entirely incomprehensible.  
But she was enough on points to not denounce him in front of the cruel man that stood next to her, at least, that's what Throttle concluded from her silence.

Dante tilted his head a bit surprised and eagerly studied the tan-furred mouse in front of him, who only looked back with a blank face instead of backing down.  
Just when things started to feel awkward, the human male smiled again.  
"You're smart. I like that. Okay. Thirty-five percent of your findings from your weekly recon and stock, every week. My men will pick it up every Saturday at 12 am sharp. In return, we'll keep an eye on things around your camp. Do we have a deal?"  
And he offered Charley his big hand.  
The spunky mechanic stared at it for a little while as her brains seemed to make overtime.  
She then looked at Throttle, who gave her an encouraging nod in return.  
Something changed in her eyes, as if the doubt just vanished, taking the glazed look with it and after taking a deep breath, Charley took Dante's hand in a firm grip, her green eyes now twinkling in determination again.  
"Deal."


	18. Chapter 18

Hello again, my loyal readers.

Thank you so much for the reviews, favs and follows!  
Can't say it enough.

So, next chapter. Hope you guys like it!  
Feel free to leave a review after finishing it.

Till next time, dudes!

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Vinnie reflexively closed his eyes by the sudden bright light, but two gloved fingers pulled the eyelids of his right eye open again.  
"Man, are you trying to blind me?", the white-furred mouse complained as he turned his head away in another attempt to escape from the intense light, but the gloved hand now grabbed his chin and forced him to look back.  
"No, I'm trying to help you. Now sit still, my friend. I won't hurt you", Ben answered patiently as he shone the light back in Vinnie's right eye.  
The young mouse did his best not to punch him in the face, for he knew the man really was just trying to help.  
But he had never been one to sit still, plus the light was more than annoying.  
"Hmmm…"  
It was crazy, how a simple sound such as that one could trigger like a thousand emotions, especially fear.  
Fear for his pretty face.  
"What do ya mean, _'hmmm'_? I'm not gonna lose my eye, right? An eyepatch is so not my style, no offense, bro", the young mouse quickly added towards Modo, who sat at a small table close by the counter in the same chair he had been when Ben stitched his arm, now a few days ago.  
"None taken."

Ben, however, didn't answer the question, still studying Vinnie's eye carefully and the white-furred mouse wiggled in the chair as he tried to keep his head as still as possible.  
But this was taking like forever and he wasn't sure how long he was able to endure this nagging insecurity of not knowing what was wrong with his eye.  
Lucky for Vinnie, he wasn't only one.  
"What's your verdict, doc?", Throttle asked worriedly as he looked over Ben's shoulder.  
"I'm not sure…", the human mumbled absent-mindedly.  
The tan-furred mouse leaned forward to take an even closer look at the now two-colored eye of his youngest bro.  
It was the weirdest thing he had ever seen, and yet, it was sort of beautiful.  
In a mysterious kind of way, that is.  
Three-quarters of the usual ruby-red iris -which was already unique in its kind before this- was now white, but still mixed with small flecks of red.  
The result was mind-blowing, to say the least.

But it was clear that the white-furred mouse didn't share his opinion.  
"It's _ugly_, that's what it is", Vinnie grumbled as the tip of his tail danced in irritability, but the hint of pain in his voice didn't elude Throttle.  
And he knew it wasn't physical pain.  
This whole thing must bring back memories.  
Memories that were locked away and should stay there too, thoroughly hidden, for it weren't happy ones.  
Throttle straightened his back and rubbed his stinging bionic eyes under his specs.  
He didn't like to think back at that day either.  
It was a very bad day.  
One of the darkest in history.

Ben let go of Vinnie's head as he turned off the small flashlight and then looked at the visibly nervous white-furred mouse.  
"I might have an idea, but I need to know something to confirm that theory", he started with caution, probably remembering Vinnie's short answer the last time he had asked a question about this particular subject.  
From the moment the human doctor started talking, Vinnie already knew where he was getting at and his heart skipped a few beats as he shook his head violently.  
_Ah ah.  
__No way.  
_"I don't wanna talk about it."  
The threatening undertone in his voice wasn't hard to miss and was supposed to force Ben to back down but, unfortunately, it didn't discourage the brave and friendly doctor.  
"If you want to know what is wrong with your eye, I need to know what happened", and he pointed at Vinnie's mask, his voice still friendly and devoid of any judgment.  
But even though he meant well, he was coming too close.  
Way too close.

_Blood.  
__Empty blue eyes staring back accusingly…_

No.  
"I _said; _I _don't _wanna talk about it!", Vinnie spat out as he clenched his fists, shaking his head in an attempt to get rid of the fragments from that day which were now forcing themselves on him.  
The necklace suddenly felt like a rock on his neck so heavy, so did his heart.  
Ben shot Throttle a worried look and the tan-furred mouse was about to intervene, but Charley beat him to it by simply walking back into the room after being gone for several minutes.  
"Say, Modo? I was wondering, where did you get this bionic arm? It might be useful to know if I wanna be able to fix it", she asked when she sat down across Modo and spread the tools she brought from her garage out on the small table.  
But when Modo didn't answer, she seemed to feel the tension in the room and she looked up with a frown on her face.  
"Did I miss something?"  
The silence that followed was close to suffocating, sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

Throttle looked at Modo, who was staring at his arm with droopy ears and dangling antennas.  
He then looked at Vinnie, who was looking out the window angrily, his arms folded and fur bristled.  
Sadness washed over the tan-furred mouse by seeing their pain, the same pain that now crawled into his heart by thinking back at that day and he heaved a sigh, conflicted about what his next move was going to be.  
He knew Ben needed an answer to his question to figure out what was happening with Vinnie's eye.  
The same applied for Charley, this knowledge would probably increase her chances and therefore Modo's chances to get his arm fixed, for the laser was still stuck halfway out.  
But he couldn't let his bro's relive that day.  
Or himself, for that matter.  
So, he decided to give them the facts they needed and nothing more.  
"An explosion. We got caught in an explosion. The Plutarkians found us first and took us prisoner. A doctor named Karbunkle who worked for the fish gave Modo the arm since he'd lost his real one in the um... _accident_."  
Short and sweet.  
Stoker would be proud of him.

Another silence followed as the two humans processed the words and it was clear to Throttle that they both were deeply touched by hearing this thing that was hardly an explanation.  
Yet, they seemed to understand the dire situation he and his bro's had been in.  
That fact warmed him up from inside all of a sudden.  
These people _cared_.  
And after all the betrayal, the pain, the misery… it was like a breath of fresh air.  
To know that there were still people in this wild and wooly universe who cared.  
And that was worth fighting for.

Without really realizing it, his gaze wandered to Charley, who was staring at the table, clearly deep in thought.  
The meeting with Dante had rocked her foundation, he could tell.  
They hadn't really spoken about it, though.  
After she had taken the deal, Dante had let them go, but the ride back to the camp had been one in total silence.  
Well, aside from Vinnie who wouldn't shut up about his eye, which was understandable as much as it was expected.  
Either way, Throttle knew Charley's mind was troubled.  
He just wished he could take it all away.  
To show her that _he _cared too.  
That he, unlike Max, would _never_ violate her trust.  
But, whether he liked it or not, Max had been an important part of her life.  
The pain he'd caused ran deep and he needed to give her the time she needed to heal.  
If only he could show her how to be whole again…

Ben broke him out of his thoughts by clearing his throat.  
"Okay, here's what I think. _Heterochromia. _It means discoloration in the iris", he started his explanation, probably knowing that pity nor words could ease this raw pain from the past, a thing Throttle was grateful for.  
And by the looks of things, so were his bro's.  
"The cause of this rare phenomenon can be genetic or external, like a tumor in the head, for instance. Or… a bleeding in the eye. Look, it's just a guess, since your body doesn't work the same way as a human, but I think your eye got damaged in that explosion."  
"But why didn't it turn white immediately? I mean, this happened years ago", Throttle asked a bit confused, rubbing his chin.  
Ben shrugged.  
"Hard to tell. It's possible that the bleeding wasn't big enough to cause real damage back then. But it was there all this time and hitting your head like you did today was the final straw, I guess. You know, kind of like walking around with a ticking time bomb that only needs a push on the button to explode."

"It was already there", Vinnie suddenly mentioned and everyone gave him a surprised look.  
But the young mouse only looked at Ben, his face blank.  
"A few days ago, ya know, when Modo got stabbed by that piece of...", but he suddenly realized that Charley was in the room and he quickly changed his words.  
"..._work. _When Modo got stabbed by that piece of work, hehe", he chuckled a bit nervously as he glanced at Charley, but she didn't respond.  
She only looked at him with a blank face and empty eyes and it somehow gave him the chills.  
Like she wasn't really there.  
Vinnie cleared his throat in unease and his gaze landed back on Ben.  
"Anyway… Right before I got under the shower...", but he trailed off again and looked at Throttle now.  
"Did I ever tell you about the shower? How super friggin' awesome that was? Ya know, about water coming out of the wall and all...", he babbled excitedly, already distracted again.

The tan-furred mouse smiled as he shook his head in amusement.  
So easily distracted, their beloved white-furred bro.  
That could be very annoying from time to time, but not today.  
Today, Throttle was just happy to see that the pain in his eyes was already gone again.  
So was his anger and unease.  
One of the benefits of his easily distracted brain.  
But, there were more important matters that needed to be solved, matters which had nothing to do with the strange human ritual that was called a shower, so Throttle snapped his fingers to get his young bro's attention.  
"Focus, Vincent."

Vinnie stopped his chatter quite abrupt and smiled a bit sheepishly in return.  
"Right, hehe. Um, well, what I wanted to say… Right before I got under the shower I was looking in the mirror and I saw this tiny white spot in my right eye. So, um, yeah, it was already there."  
Ben ran a hand through his almost grey hair as he took in the words before adjusting his glasses.  
"Hmmm… and you're sure it wasn't there before?"  
"Yep."  
"You seem very certain about this."  
"You're saying that to a mouse who loves to spend at least a few hours per day with adoring himself in the mirror", Modo now finally opened his mouth again, his ears and antennas back to their usual position and Throttle chuckled by this comment for it was so true.  
Vinnie flashed his grey-furred bro one of his trademark smiles.  
"You're jealous. I get it, though. After all, there's only one me."  
"Thank the Mothers of Mars there is", Modo muttered under his breath.  
"See? Jealous."

Ben stopped them before things could run out of hand by thinking out loud.  
"This is highly interesting. Maybe it has something to do with the Earth's atmosphere…", he mused as he looked at Modo's arm with a frown.  
Then, his face lit up all of a sudden.  
"Your arm. It never failed you before, right? Isn't that what you said?"  
Modo slowly nodded, not sure where this was going to and why the doc was suddenly this excited.  
But Ben already looked at Throttle with twinkling eyes.  
"And what about you? Do you have any Plutarkian parts like Modo?"  
The tan-furred mouse gave him a confused look, but answered the question.  
"My eyes. I lost my eyes in the explosion. Karbunkle replaced them with bionic ones… But they don't work as they should, I guess. Because without the glasses, I'm blind like a cave rat."  
"And are you experiencing any discomfort since you're on Earth?"  
Throttle already opened his mouth to say no, but then he froze.  
_Well, I'll be damned…  
_"Yeah… they sting. Like, very bad."

Ben jumped at his feet as he clapped his hands in excitement.  
"Your bodies are reacting to the different atmosphere! At least, some parts. Your eye", and he pointed at Vinnie.  
"I stick to my original thesis that your eye got partly damaged in that explosion, it has to be. But I bet it has something to do with a difference in air pressure that set things in motion. Hitting your head only sped up the process."  
He then pointed at Modo's arm.  
"Charley, I think all that arm needs is a little oil, for it's probably getting rusty by our humid atmosphere."  
Without waiting for an answer, he swirled around to face Throttle.  
"Replacing your eyes has affected your tear ducts, meaning they're producing few fewer eye juices. And even though the air on Earth is more humid, from what I know it's colder and more drafty here than on Mars and therefore, your tears evaporate faster than usual. This results in dry eyes. And dry eyes sting."  
He walked over to Throttle and pointed at his specs.  
"May I?"  
The tan-furred mouse nodded and Ben carefully lifted the glasses.  
Using the same small flashlight, he checked Throttle's eyes and then nodded satisfied.  
"Yes. All you need are some eye drops. You know, artificial tears."  
The doc then looked at Modo.  
"Your eye isn't giving you any trouble?", he asked, but the grey-furred giant shook his head.  
"Nope. Just the arm", he answered calmly, but then he narrowed his one eye in confusion  
"Hey, how do you know that my eye ain't one of my own?"  
Ben shrugged.  
"Well, you know…with the whole _glowing red _part… Trust me, it wasn't _that_ hard to figure it out."  
"Right", Modo smiled sheepishly, scratching behind his big ear.  
That was indeed a simple equation, especially for a Big Brain such as Ben.

As the three mice were a bit mind blown by this information and needed some time to process it all, Charley was already checking Modo's arm.  
"You're right, Ben. The mechanism is affected by rust, but it's nothing that a few drops of oil can't fix. You're a genius, you know that right?", she added lovingly.  
"Hey, and what about my eye? Is there something you can fix it with?", Vinnie asked when Ben didn't come up with a solution to his problem.  
The human doc gave him an apologetic look.  
"I'm afraid not. But perhaps it's comforting to know that it is completely harmless."  
"So you're saying that I will have to walk around with two different colored eyes for the rest of my life?", the white-furred mouse eventually brought out after staring at Ben for a little while, clearly not even close to being comforted.  
"I think so, yes. I'm sorry."  
"Ah, man…"  
It was obvious that this news really upset the young mouse, which wasn't really shocking for his looks were very important to him.  
Add that to the fact that this whole thing seemed to be an aftermath of that horrible day...

"Look at it this way, bro. It makes you even more unique", Throttle pointed out friendly in an attempt to cheer his young bro up, but Vinnie only shrugged, clearly not convinced.  
Modo glanced at Vinnie and his heart broke a little by seeing the sad look on the young mouse his face.  
Despite their differences, he cared deeply for that white-furred loudmouth.  
_Unconditional friendship, a bond forged by shared pain.  
_"He's right, Vin. Besides, I bet the ladies will _love _it."  
Vinnie looked up a bit hopeful now.  
"You think so?"  
It was Charley who answered with a warm smile.  
"I _know_ so."

Throttle warmed up from inside for the second time this day when he saw Vinnie's face lit up again, this time not even close to being jealous.  
Sometimes, things weren't about ego.  
Sometimes, even Vinnie needed loving energy and words of encouragement to keep going.  
Moments like these reminded the tan-furred leader how young he actually was.  
Young, but already marked by years of war and misery.  
The young mouse would never admit it, though.  
But Throttle knew he was.  
He knew how a piece of his young and positive soul was taken away that day.  
How he was scarred, and not just physically.  
He knew.  
Because they all were.  
_Scarred for life.  
_It was important to stick together.  
To be there for each other.  
To _care_.

"Well, now we got this all figured out, why don't you tell me about what happened today?", Ben asked as he searched for whatever it was that he needed in one of the drawers beneath the counter.  
The mood instantly dropped below freezing point, but Ben hardly seemed to notice for he now held up a small bottle with a content look on his face.  
"Found it", and he gave it to Throttle.  
"Here, the eye drops I was telling you about. You know how to use it?"  
Throttle nodded and took off his specs, taking away his vision at the same time.  
"We met Dante", he told the human doc as he tilted his head back.  
"Just a few drops should do it", Ben instructed.  
Throttle did what he said and as soon as the cold liquid made contact with his eyes, he felt a delicious sense of relief.  
What a lovely feeling, to blink without having the feeling like there's the entire Martian desert scraping over your eyeballs.  
"Thanks, doc. This helps. A lot", the tan-furred mouse said gratefully as he put his customized shades back on.  
Ben nodded with a smile.  
"Good. So… Dante, huh? Given the sour looks on your faces, I can tell he's not a friend."  
"Oh, hell no. He's lowlife scum and I can't wait to put him on ice", Vinnie growled as he cracked his knuckles.  
"For once I agree with Vinnie. He's no good", Modo nodded, his eye flickering red.  
Throttle heaved a sigh and braced himself.  
"I hear ya, bro's, but we can't."

Both his bro's froze and slowly turned their head towards the tan-furred mouse with their mouth wide open.  
"Say _what_?", Vinnie eventually brought out.  
"What do ya mean, we can't? We can handle him, bro, and you know it. All we need is a good plan", Modo told his leader, but the latter shook his head.  
"We can't. _Think_, bro's. He's dangerous, _beyond_ dangerous. Under no circumstances can we underestimate this man. I mean, the guy sacrificed about twenty of his people today _only _to see us fight. That not only means he's cold, calculated and crazy, but also that he has enough people working for him to play with their lives like this whole thing is nothing more but a game. Trying to take him down is gonna cost too many lives, _innocent _lives. They only follow him because they don't know what else to do. We can't let them pay for his hunger to power, that's just not who we are. We're Freedom Fighters. We protect the ones who need it, and not kill them because they made a wrong choice in desperate times."  
"Now just wait a darn minute", Vinnie started his protest, not amused by the fact that he -by the looks of things- wasn't going to get a chance for some serious payback, but Charley cut him off.  
"Is that why you made the deal? Because you think you can't defeat him?"

It was pretty obvious that she was still bothered by his decision and not only because she avoided his look by focusing on oiling Modo's arm.  
The tone in her voice said it all.  
But even though he felt guilty because of passing her, Throttle stood his ground.  
This time, he wasn't gonna let his feelings for her distract him from who he was.  
A leader where people could rely on.  
And with people, he meant _all _the people.  
Earthly and Martian.  
He could only hope she would understand his choices, eventually.

"Partially, yes. Also because, believe it or not, he's not our biggest concern right now."  
Modo rubbed his chin, slowly starting to understand where Throttle was getting at.  
"The bounty."  
"Yes, the bounty."  
"Bounty?", Ben gasped in both shock and surprise.  
"You heard it. A bounty", Charley sighed tiredly.  
But when Ben opened his mouth again, Vinnie held up his hand to stop him from saying another word.  
"Oh no, not this again. Besides, this is _bullshit, _Throttle. As if someone is actually gonna catch us. You really think that little of us?"  
"Again, you're not looking at the bigger picture, Vincent. This isn't merely about the bounty itself, but mostly about who put the word out. Our first priority is to stop the Plutarkians _and_ to protect as many people as we can while we're at it. For starters, if we're able to defeat the fish, then Dante will be no longer a threat. Because if we free this planet, we give people _hope_. Hope for a future. And that's exactly what they need to stand up against people like Dante."  
Vinnie folded his arms in annoyance.  
"Oh, man… I'm starting to hate this bigger picture thingy. There's no fun in it whatsoever", he grumbled.  
"I'm still not sure what exactly is going on here, but I think Throttle is right. As I told Modo, I think you three are here to set us free. And I think that is where you should focus on", Ben joined in.

Throttle gave him a grateful nod and then looked at Charley.  
"Where did Dante say this Limburger clown was? Calofina?"  
"California. It's another state."  
"And that means…?", Vinnie asked impatiently, not in the mood for any more riddles.  
"That it's far from here. Why? You wanna go fishing in California?", Charley snorted sarcastically, but when Throttle didn't contradict her, she looked up at him with her green eyes wide open.  
"Oh my god, you do. You _do _wanna go there... "  
"It's an ancient war tactic, babe. Destroy the ones on top. The rest will follow", the tan-furred mouse told her.  
"But… but you said you would help us. You promised to _protect_ us…"  
"And I did."  
Charley shook her head violently, but then the words seemed to dawn on her and she froze.  
"The deal", she whispered.

"Yes, the deal. Look, you can say a lot about people like Dante, but as long as we give him what he wants, he will keep his end of the bargain. He will protect this camp like one of his own, because it _is _one of his own, for years already. Your people are safe, Charley."  
"Damn. Guess Ben ain't the only smarty-pants present", Vinnie mumbled, despite himself deeply impressed by the quick thinking of his bro and leader.  
Throttle hardly heard him for he wasn't finished yet.  
"Unless we stay here. Because if Dante is telling the truth and I believe he does, the whole world is gonna come after us because of that bounty and nothing, absolutely nothing will stop them from killing the ones who are standing in their way. Money does that to people. It turns them into wild animals and trust me, I know. As someone who had the _'privilege'_ to see the consequences of a government selling out its own planet, its own _people_ to the enemy only to get rich, I see myself as quite the reliable witness. I don't wanna bring that kind of danger to this camp. Because if I do, not even Dante will be able to protect it. No one will. The history of Mars is proof of that."

Modo felt his lips curl into a little smile.  
Even though he felt a bit sorry for Charley, even though he wanted to make Dante pay for what he was doing to these poor people just as much as Vinnie did, listening to all this told him that Throttle was right.  
But not just that, it also told him that his bro and leader was back.  
And he couldn't be more proud.  
_That's Throttle for ya.  
_He looked at Charley, who was staring at his arm with the small oil can still in her now slightly trembling right hand and without thinking, he laid his flesh hand on hers.  
"He's right, Charley ma'am. We can't risk the lives of your people by staying here. What if someone dies because of us? That would make me more than just sad."  
Modo felt the muscles in her hand vibrate under her skin, and he wasn't entirely sure why she was so upset.  
But if he had to guess, it was because they -by the looks of things- were going to leave this place any time soon.  
And by seeing her pain, he knew Ben was right.  
His tan-furred friend meant something to this woman.  
Ben seemed to realize the same thing, because he suddenly popped up behind Charley and laid his hands on her shoulders.  
"Why don't you go with them?"

The silence that followed was even more pressing than the previous one and the mice kept a close eye on Charley, not wanting to miss any sign that could tell them what this question was doing to her.  
And while he was at it, Throttle gave himself an inner scolding that it wasn't him who came up with this idea.  
It should've been a good way to show her that he cared about her, that she mattered to him.  
That he didn't _want_ to leave, but that they had no choice.  
That it had nothing to do with her or with what she had established here but all with who they were and what their job was.  
Because the truth was, the thought alone of leaving her behind made him sick to the stomach.

As he studied her carefully, he saw how her face lit up by hearing Ben's suggestion  
How her green eyes suddenly weren't that empty anymore, but twinkling in excitement and his heart made a little jump.  
But then, her face darkened again and she focussed her attention back on Modo's arm again.  
"I can't. I can't just leave my people behind. They count on me."  
A slap in the face would've been the same and Throttle felt his ears droop a bit.  
But he said nothing.  
What could he say?  
He didn't want to force her to leave her people behind.  
That would be more than unfair.  
It would be like forcing her to cut off a limb.  
There was no way he could expect her to do such a thing.

Ben heaved a sigh, looking sadder than Throttle had ever seen him in the short time they knew each other.  
"Oh, Charley. Ever since the Plutarkians came to this planet, you're putting yourself on the sideline. I admire you for that, trust me, and you gave hope to so many people, including me. But I think the time has come to think about yourself for a change. Go with them. You heard the man, uh… _mouse_; your people are safe. There's nothing left for you here. Your destiny lies with them, Charley. Take it from an old man. Life's too short to live it behind a fence, no matter what is happening on the outside. Besides, I'll be here to keep an eye on things."  
"He's right, ya know. You really should go out more often, sweetheart", Vinnie added with a crooked smile as he glanced at her from under his lashes.

Throttle clenched his fists when he heard the flirtatious subtext, but he forced himself to stay calm.  
It probably meant nothing.  
Nothing but him overreacting, since that happened every time when Charley was involved.  
That it made him realize something.  
Was he really going to stand by and do nothing?  
That was like throwing away what they had -whatever that may be- before it even started.  
Was he really okay with that?

_No._

He wasn't.  
He too always put himself on the sideline.  
It was probably part of being a leader and usually, it didn't bother him that much.  
But not this time.  
This was different.  
He had the unexplainable feeling that he needed her.  
Selfish, maybe, but then again; her people _were_ safe.  
There was enough food to survive another couple of years, even without Dante's part.  
And they were protected by people who knew what they were doing.  
Asking her to leave wasn't unfair.  
Leaving her behind, however…  
That would be like betraying himself.  
And that was unforgivable.

So, he made a decision.  
He was going to fight for her.  
Like he always did when he wanted something.  
Nothing new.  
Freedom, love…  
It wasn't free.  
It came with great cost.  
But he was more than willing to pay the price.  
Because it was totally worth it.

"Look, Charley, I'm sorry that I gave you the feeling that I passed you. That I took decisions without consulting you, decisions that concern the fate of your people. You're angry, I get it. You have every right to be. But you need to know that I did it to protect you and this camp. And even though it feels wrong to have them protected by a man like Dante, the fact remains that they're safe…", he started his plea with caution as he walked closer to her.  
She wasn't looking at him, but he knew she was listening.  
Her heartbeat had increased from the moment he had started talking.  
Taking that as a good sign, he continued.  
"As much as I admire what you've established here, Ben is right. It's time to think about what _you _want. Don't get me wrong, you did one hell of a job, babe. You saved so many lives. You gave so many people hope. We may not know each other for a very long time, but I know that all you ever want is to help. You can do that, Charley, if you come with us. You have so much to offer to everyone who is out there, lost and searching for guidance. The people out there need you and if you ask me, they need you more than the people here, for they've already been saved."

The tan-furred mouse now stood next to her and Ben did a few steps back as he gave him an encouraging nod.  
Throttle, in turn, shot him a grateful look and after a small hesitation, he laid his hand on Charley's shoulder.  
"I'm not asking you to leave your people behind. I'm asking you to follow your heart. If you chose to stay because that's what you really want, I'll support your decision. In fact, I'll support every decision you make, as long as it's one made by heart."  
Her heart was now racing in her chest, he could hear it.  
It gave him hope, actually.  
It confirmed that he'd said the right things.  
Now it was up to her.  
If she said no, at least he could comfort himself with the thought that he'd tried and, although with reluctance, he pulled back his hand to give her some space.

"Choose wisely, Charley ma'am. You matter too. Don't you forget about that", Modo said softly when he saw how her green eyes teared up, how her lower lip started to tremble.  
It was obvious she was involved in a battle with herself about what to do, a thing Modo knew all too well.  
It was hard, to _not _put yourself on the sideline in these desperate times.  
To follow your heart.  
But sometimes, these small moments of self-care were all that one needed to keep going, even though it initially felt like it would tear you apart.  
Unfortunately, no one ever said that living in a war was simple.  
Quite the opposite, actually.  
Charley closed her eyes for a moment and a tear left her right eye.  
"You don't have to answer now. We've got some time. Think about it", and the grey-furred giant gently squeezed her hand before letting go.

The human female let out her breath as she wiped off her face and added the last few drops of oil into Modo's arm.  
"Try it now", she sniffed with a voice thick of emotion.  
Modo did what he was told and to his utter joy, the gun zoomed back in and out as if nothing ever happened and he looked at Charley with a grateful smile on his face.  
"Thank you."  
She gave him a nod back and slumped back in her chair, already deep in thought.  
Nobody dared to say something, even Vinnie was for once quiet as a mouse.  
After a long and almost deafening silence, she opened her mouth again.  
"Okay. I'll go with you. But _only _because it's obvious that you guys need a skilled mechanic such as myself to keep you in one piece. Without me, you'll probably fall apart from the moment you ride through that gate", she added the last part with a chuckle, probably making a joke out of it to laugh away her emotions.  
She had no idea that for some of them, this was very close to the truth, but of course, _some of them _didn't say that out loud.

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Vinnie jumped at his feet.  
"Aaaoooww, welcome to the club, Charley-girl! You're so not gonna regret this, gosh, this is gonna be so much fun!", he babbled excitedly, clearly happy that Charley broke the hardly bearable tension in the room.  
Modo couldn't hide his smile, for the young mouse's enthusiasm was contagious.  
Besides, he too was happy that she was coming with them.  
Even though he didn't feel the same way about her like his two bro's did, he _did_ care about her and besides, she was a real asset for the team.  
After all, she knew Earth better than them, for it was her home.  
They were going to need that knowledge.  
Next to the fact that she was a nice person to be around.  
Now their biggest problem was two Martian Mice who both had feelings for this woman, one more serious than the other.  
_What could possibly go wrong? _

Even though his two bro's were excited that Charley was going to tag along, nobody was so happy as Throttle.  
Not that he showed it, who knew what would happen if he did?  
He would probably jump on the table and do a victory dance, which was so not his usual style.  
Or perhaps he would drag her out of her chair to whirl her around and kiss her.  
Oh no.  
That would be way up the awkward scale.  
One didn't learn these kinds of things at _Cool_ _School_.  
And now he was starting to sound like Vinnie.  
_Man_.

Anyway, it was there.  
A feeling of sheer happiness now rushing through his veins, knowing that he didn't have to leave her behind.  
More to the point, he was able to spend even more time with her and it made him almost ecstatic.  
And when she glanced up at him, he luckily had enough self-control to just smile at her instead of doing one of the things that had crossed his mind.  
But there was nothing wrong with a smile.  
In fact, sometimes a smile said so much more than a thousand words.  
And much to his surprise, she smiled back.  
It was a bit sad, though, but still a smile.  
That meant she wasn't mad anymore.  
_Yes_.  
Vinnie was right.  
This was going to be one hell of a road trip.

It was then when suddenly someone knocked on the door and without waiting for an answer, a human male appeared in the doorway.  
Throttle recognized him as Milo, one of Max his friends.  
But ever since Max was gone, he had shown nothing more but loyalty towards Charley.  
That was probably the reason why he was still breathing.  
"Um, sorry to interrupt, but we picked up a signal on the scanner", Milo started a bit insecure, probably not knowing if he had permission to interrupt this meeting.  
"I wouldn't have disturbed you if it wasn't important."  
Charley gave him an encouraging smile, probably meant to calm his nerves, because that's who she was, Throttle now knew.  
Kind.  
Willing to give second chances.  
"It's okay, Milo. What's going on?"  
"Well, it sounded like an emergency broadcast at first, you know, a looping message on the major FM frequency, but when we tried to send a message back, someone responded immediately. She wants to speak to Throttle, as soon as possible and um… well, she was very persistent", Milo told her as his blue eyes nervously wandered towards the tan-furred mouse before his gaze landed back on Charley again.  
"When I asked her who she was, she only told me to tell Throttle his General wishes to speak to him."

Charley now looked at Throttle questionably, but the tan-furred mouse stared right through her as he processed Milo's words, his hands already turning sweaty.  
_Persistent...  
_He could see how Charley's mouth formed words, but a high beep in his ears prevented him from hearing what she said.  
It wasn't that hard to guess, though.  
There was only one question that mattered right now.  
_General…  
_And there was only one answer to that one question.  
One that was linked to about a thousand emotions.

_Carbine._


	19. Chapter 19

Hey, you guys!

_**Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas to all of you!**_

I hope you're all surrounded by people you love and who love you.  
Well, and as my Christmas gift to you; a new chapter!  
Hehehe.  
No surprise there.

And since I think this will be my last update for 2019, I wanna use this moment to give you my wishes.  
I hope 2020 will bring you nothing but good fortune and love.  
And let's keep this fandom alive, together, for the series is simply too awesome to be forgotten.

Oh, speaking of forgetting; thanks for the reviews!  
Happy to hear you guys still like the story.

Well, I'm gonna stop talking now.  
Be prepared for some drama and enjoy this chapter.  
Feel free to leave a review after finishing it.  
But of course, no pressure.

Till next time, my loyal readers!  
Later!

* * *

**Chapter 19**

"It has to be Carbine, right? A persistent General…", Modo whispered to Vinnie while they followed Milo and Charley to the communication room.  
"Of course it is. I mean,_ 'Tell Throttle his General wishes to speak to him'_? Ugh, tasteless. There's only one in this universe capable of making such a dramatic and unoriginal come-back. Miss _Paranoia _herself", Vinnie responded with a frown on his face, almost looking disgusted.  
Even though the young mouse did have a point, Modo used his tail to smack him to the back of his head by hearing this comment.  
When Vinnie wanted to protest because of this not so friendly treatment, the grey-furred giant quickly put a finger to his lips as he pointed a bionic finger in Throttle's direction -who walked in front of them-, hereby telling the white-furred loudmouth to watch his tone, for this was a touchy subject for their tan-furred friend.  
Speaking of which, Throttle had been awfully quiet ever since Milo told them about the signal.  
Even now, he hardly seemed to hear them.  
But Modo didn't want to take any risks.  
His bro and leader already had enough on his plate.  
There was no need for Vinnie to make things even worse.  
As far as that goes, that is.  
Controlling Vinnie's mouth seemed to be an impossible job from time to time.  
Which wasn't that big of a surprise, for the white-furred mouse hardly controlled it himself.  
But it was worth a shot.

The grey-furred mouse swung an arm around Vinnie's neck and pulled him closer.  
"But hey, if it is Carbine, that means Stoker can be alive too, ya know."  
Vinnie's face lit up by this comment, clearly, he hadn't thought about that yet.  
"Oh man, I hope so. I can't wait to tell him how I got rid of that tank, it was such an epic and style full elimination. Definitely one for the list."  
"You keep a list?"  
"Of course, I do. How else can I keep improving myself, huh? Perfection needs practice, although I'm already very close to being perfect…"  
Vinnie trailed off when he realized what he was saying and wrinkled his nose.  
"Scratch that. I _am _perfect", he then smiled his most charming smile before glancing up to Modo from under his lashes.  
"Besides, someone needs to make it to the history books as baddest mamma jammer in the universe. It might as well be me."  
Modo rolled his one eye with a smile.  
"Sacrificing yourself to the greater good, huh? I'm touched, Vin."  
"Hey, no problem, man. All in a day's work."  
"Oh yeah? Where did you read that, the _hero_ _handbook_?", the grey-furred giant snorted sarcastically as he playfully pushed him away, all in an attempt to contain Vinnie's ego, but of course, that was just as impossible as controlling his mouth.  
The white-furred mouse suddenly tripped and Modo quickly grabbed his arm to stop him from falling face forward on the floor.  
"Hey, man, no swearing! You almost gave me a heart attack just now. Handbook, pfuh… It's like a bible, dude. It's a way of life. Geez, what rock did you crawl out from under?", Vinnie breathed almost insulted as he looked at his older bro with big eyes, exaggerating as always in the way that no one else could.  
Modo shook his head as he heaved a sigh and let the young mouse go.  
That boy was too far gone.  
Definitely, without a doubt beyond saving.

In the meantime, Throttle was still in a state of shock, which was a shock in itself.  
Wasn't he supposed to feel happy that Carbine was still alive?  
Or perhaps something that came close to relief?  
Or at least anything other than this almost paralyzing shock?  
He probably should.  
But the truth was, he had no idea how to feel about this.  
"Are you okay?"  
Surprised by this sudden question, he looked at his right, straight into a pair of worried green eyes.  
It seemed that the human female had slowed down her pace to walk next to him.  
He hadn't even noticed.  
"You look like you're about to throw up."  
Oh man, she had no idea how right she was.  
But he wasn't going to tell her that.  
"I'm fine. Just a bit surprised, I guess."  
That was an understatement.  
"I can imagine", Charley nodded, but the tone in her voice told him she didn't believe him.  
He couldn't really blame her.  
He didn't need a mirror to know that he probably looked like he'd seen a ghost instead of just _'a bit surprised'_.  
Maybe he did.  
It felt like he did.

All this time, he had clung to the hope that his friends might still be alive.  
However, deep down he had always known that their chances of survival were almost zero.  
The fact that he and his bro's had survived the crash was a miracle to say at least.  
Bumping into Charley was nothing more but blind luck.  
Maybe, deep down, the process of saying goodbye had already begun.  
And now, it appeared that at least Carbine was still alive.  
Even though he hadn't yet spoken to the person who was on the other side of that radio, he just knew it was her.  
He felt it in every fiber of his body.  
Frankly, it made him sick.  
And he wasn't sure why.  
But it had something to do with Charley.  
With his feelings for that amazing creature that was a human being.  
So that he knew.  
Now, all there was left to do was to figure out what this severe reaction meant, this… _indefinite_ feeling.  
One thing was for sure.  
It couldn't be good.  
_Man.  
_What a mess.

"So, this General… Is she one of your friends you told me about? You know, the ones with whom you escaped Mars?", Charley asked with caution.  
"She is."  
"But… Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is _good_ news, isn't it?"  
Throttle glanced at her.  
"Of course it is. Why do you ask?", he asked with a tone that would pass for confusion.  
It felt fake.  
He knew damn well where she was getting at.  
He just didn't know how to explain his reaction to her.  
He hardly knew for himself.  
"It's just… You don't seem to be happy about it…"  
And there it was.  
Throttle swallowed with difficulty, still not knowing what to say to her.  
Which was weird, because he usually knew exactly what to say.  
Everything was so different when he was around her.  
It kept amazing him, and not in the good sense of the word.  
But, unfortunately, Vinnie was more than willing to take over.  
"That's because she's a bitch of the highest order", he meddled in their conversation before Modo could stop him.  
But if that wasn't bad enough already, the white-furred mouse went even further by adding something that wasn't his place to tell.  
"And she's our fearless leader's beloved _girlfriend_."

Throttle stopped dead in his tracks by hearing these words and anger suddenly chased away the numbness that came with shock.  
He didn't get angry easily, he was known for his calm and stable behavior, but he was now.  
_Angry_.  
And not only because he was already on edge because of this mess that seemed to follow him everywhere he went.  
If he had to be honest, it _might_ have something to do with the almost childish need to keep his fucked up relationship with Carbine a secret for Charley.  
For now, that is.  
He would've told her, eventually.  
On his own terms.  
Just like he had said to her the day Max died.  
That maybe one day, he would tell her about Carbine.  
But now Vinnie had decided to drop this bomb with the worst timing ever.  
And with that, he'd crossed a line that wasn't meant to be crossed.  
The young mouse had already been very close to that line because of his flirty behavior when he was around Charley, but this time, he went too far.  
And this time, he wasn't going to get away with it that easily.  
No more.

In one smooth movement, Throttle swirled around and grabbed Vinnie by his black hoodie.  
"She's _not _my girlfriend!", he spat out, his nose almost touching Vinnie's.  
The young mouse his eyes grew big, but he wasn't really impressed, Throttle could tell.  
It was all for the show.  
The somehow smug glance in his now two-colored eyes was the proof of that.  
He obviously had his own agenda.  
Which was bad news.  
"Okay, okay, chill bro. Geez, must have hit a nerve… I figured you told her, but apparently, you didn't. _Oops_. My bad, man."  
The tan-furred mouse clenched his teeth by hearing the so-called innocent tone in Vinnie's voice.  
It made him even angrier.  
But not just with Vinnie.  
Also with himself.  
Because he now realized that the young mouse had said these things to provoke him.  
And he had taken the bait without even blinking.  
Talk about a stupid move.  
This was exactly what the white-furred mouse wanted.

Something clicked in his head after his brain quickly connected the dots.  
And he knew now.  
To be honest, it was something he had known all this time but had tried very hard to deny, simply because it complicated things even more.  
But now, it was time to face reality.  
Vinnie's flirting was far from innocent.  
Far from meaningless.  
By the Gods, how could he have been so naive?  
This was a game.  
It had been a game all along.  
A game he was now part of, whether he liked it or not.  
_Typical_.  
_Just typical_.  
His grip around Vinnie's sweater tightened and he looked over his shoulder.  
"Can I have a minute with my little bro here?", he asked, his husky voice lower than low.  
Milo looked like he was about to faint, but Charley only gave him a puzzled look.  
But then, she nodded.  
"Sure. Just come to the building next to the garage when you're done."

When she and Milo were gone, Throttle looked back at Vinnie, who almost looked bored.  
"So now what? You're gonna hit me for telling her the truth?"  
This mouse...  
This mouse was so good at crawling under his skin sometimes.  
A growl vibrated deep in his chest as the tan-furred leader pushed Vinnie against the wall with a loud bang.  
"I'm not in the mood for your little games, Vincent. I know you. I know what you're doing here. Because you've done it before. Over and over again. And even though it's far from okay, I've always let you do things your own way. But not this time. Not with her. You can't play her like that. She's too vulnerable. You're gonna break her. I _won't_ allow it."  
As he studied Vinnie's face, searching for a clue about how the young mouse was going to take this message, he saw how the left side of his mouth curled up into a crooked and arrogant smile.  
"I take that as a challenge."

Another fit of rage made his heart skip a few beats and Throttle fought the urge to wipe the smug smile off Vinnie's face, for he knew that would only make things worse.  
Even though he was beyond angry with his young bro right now, it was still his bro.  
Besides, he was supposed to be the adult here.  
The reasonable one.  
But it was hard.  
Harder than usual.  
This was about Charley, after all.  
"You just _love _pushing my buttons, don't you? I'm warning you, you're about to get what you want and believe me, it's not gonna be pretty. _No, _I'm not finished yet", he snapped when he saw that the young mouse was about to interrupt him.  
"Now get this through your head, Vincent. You leave her alone. If you don't, you're gonna have to deal with me. You really need to consider if all this is worth it. Because trust me when I say that if you decide to continue this stupid and ridiculous game, things _will _get ugly."

For a moment, there was a glance of insecurity visible in Vinnie's eyes, clearly, Throttle's words made an impact.  
The tan-furred mouse hated himself for being like this, for treating his bro the way he was doing now, but when it came to Charley, all bets were off.  
He would do anything to protect her.  
Vinnie would understand, eventually.  
Well, he hoped he would.  
He didn't want to fight with someone he considered being close family.  
But he would if he had to.  
"Are you threatening me? Are you _seriously _threatening me?", Vinnie eventually asked with narrowed eyes.  
"Take it however you want."  
And after giving Vinnie one last warning glare, Throttle let him go and walked away, still trembling of anger.  
But, of course, the white-furred youngster just didn't know when to stop.  
"So what's your excuse, huh? Acting all innocent, but you didn't even tell her you've got a girlfriend. How does that make you any better than me?"

Throttle was already halfway down the hallway, but slowly came to a halt when he heard this untruthful accusation.  
"Maybe you should stop talking, Vin", Modo warned his young bro when he saw the tensed back of his friend and leader.  
"Nah. Someone needs to tell him the facts."  
"What facts, _Vincent_? What is it that you think you know?", Throttle asked softly with a dangerously low voice.  
Modo made some wild movements with his arms while violently shaking his head in an attempt to stop this before things would really get out of hand, but much to his annoyance and less to his surprise, his young bro ignored him.  
"That you lied, _Throttle_. I'm not blind, ya know, unlike some of us. I've seen it happen. You gave her hope. You gave her hope while you're technically speaking still with Carbine, who now appears to be very much alive. And you're accusing me of playing her? You're threatening me to stay away from her? How is that even fair? I did nothing wrong. You, on the other hand..."  
Throttle closed his eyes for a moment, fighting to keep himself under control.  
This was Vinnie to the core.  
He should've known that confronting the young mouse was both a risky and stupid move.  
This whole thing was getting out of hand at a worse time.  
He never should've taken the bait.  
_Dammit._

But like Modo's old grey-furred momma used to say; _'Don't start what you can't finish.'  
_So, he turned around to face the most obstinate mouse in the entire universe, who was now leaning against the wall with folded arms, his tail sweeping back and forth like a clock.  
"You're talking about things you can't possibly understand. You have no idea what is going on. I hardly know for myself. All I know is that I won't allow you to hurt her. And for your understanding; Carbine isn't my girlfriend, not for a very long time. I didn't lie to Charley. There are just certain things I haven't told her yet. But I will. When the time is there. Now, can we drop this and go? Carbine is waiting."  
Well, that wasn't too bad.  
He was somehow proud that he managed to stay this calm, even though his anger was closer to the surface than ever.  
But, of course, the young mouse wasn't done testing his patience.  
"Oh, no, we wouldn't want the great General to wait, now do we?", Vinnie snorted sarcastically in response.  
"Stop talking about her like that!", Throttle snapped back by reflex, he just couldn't stop himself.  
"Sure thing, _bro_. The day you pull your head out of her ass, I will."

Okay.  
So far for calm.  
A mouse could only be pushed so far.  
Within a few steps, the tan-furred mouse stood right in front of Vinnie and before the white-furred mouse could blink his pretty little eyes, Throttle lashed out and punched him the face.  
Hard.  
Well, not hard enough to knock him out.  
But at least hard enough to knock him to the ground.  
Before Vinnie had the chance to start the counter-attack, Throttle kneeled next to him, grabbed his chin and forced the young mouse to look at him.  
"You're out of line, Vincent. You leave Charley alone. End of story."  
Without waiting for an answer, he got back on his feet and looked at Modo, who looked back a bit helplessly.  
But Throttle wasn't planning on wasting any more time.  
"I'm gonna talk to Carbine now. You keep an eye on him, I don't want him _near _that radio, you've got that?"  
The grey-furred giant only nodded and Throttle turned around on his heels and rushed away without looking back.

Modo heaved a sigh and looked at Vinnie, who was now sitting slumped down with his back against the wall.  
"I warned you. I told you you were playing with fire."  
The white-furred mouse wiped off his bleeding nose with the sleeve of his hoodie, breathing heavily.  
"Yeah, well, since when does that stop me, huh?", he grumbled with fuming eyes before spitting out some blood.  
"Well, now you know", Modo answered with_ 'I told you so'_ written all over his face, but he still offered the young mouse his hand.  
After a small hesitation, Vinnie decided to take it and the grey-furred mouse helped his young bro back on his feet.  
After brushing off some dust of his shoulders, Modo looked into Vinnie's two-colored eyes, worried by the white-furred mouse his silence.  
"You do, right?"  
"What?"  
"Know that you need to leave Charley alone."  
Vinnie shook his head in determination.  
"Oh no. This is far from over."  
Modo couldn't believe his oversized ears.  
"What in the… Vinnie, come on. Why are you being so stubborn?"  
"I'm not. I just don't like people telling me what to do."  
"I know, Vin, but in this case, I think you should cut your losses and let it go."  
"Cut my losses? Gosh, you should know better than that, big fella. This whole scene only made things even more interesting. He wants to play? Fine. Game on."

Modo stared at him with disbelief, for he simply couldn't wrap his mind around the fact how stubborn this mouse could be sometimes.  
"You can't be that stupid. Or callous. Can't you just let go off your ego for this one time?"  
Vinnie's head jerked up and he looked at Modo with burning eyes.  
"What makes you think this has something to do with ego?"  
Modo's heart skipped a beat when he saw something from which he thought was pain in Vinnie's eyes.  
_Hmmm.  
_Perhaps he was wrong.  
Perhaps he and Throttle were both wrong.  
By the looks of things, this wasn't only about the competition.  
Maybe there was more to it, after all…  
But who knew?  
Vinnie could be so hard to read sometimes, always hiding behind a mask.  
Especially after that day…  
He'd built these sky-high walls around him so quickly that not even he had been fast enough to climb over them before they closed him in.  
Well, nevertheless, one thing was for sure.  
The young mouse would never tell him what was going on inside that complicated head of his.  
So, Modo gently punched him on the arm.  
"Come on, let's go for a ride. Clear the head a little, ya know."  
Vinnie let out his breath and nodded.  
"Fine."

_**…**_

When Throttle made his way to the communication room, he was still boiling with anger because of the fight with his youngest bro.  
Even though he was convinced that he had every right to be mad, it still felt wrong in any way.  
Of course, it wasn't the first time that he had an altercation with Vinnie, there had even been times that it happened on regular bases.  
Still, it felt different this time.  
Vinnie's behavior concerned him, to be honest.  
There was this awful nagging pit in his stomach, telling him that this was only the beginning.  
He knew the white-furred mouse well enough to know that he wasn't going to back down that easily.  
Not without a _real_ fight.  
He was as stubborn as much as tenacious and disallowing him to do something usually resulted in him deliberately disobeying, if only to undermine Throttle's authority from time to time.  
Childish, yes.  
But the truth.  
Still, he didn't regret stepping up the way he did.  
One very wise once told him that sometimes, the end justifies the means.  
A phrase he believed to be true.  
Especially now.

Without slowing down, the-tan furred leader of the famous trio stormed into the communication room, still far from calm.  
Charley turned away from the window with her arms folded and gave him a questionable look.  
"Guess I missed the weather report about Tornado Throttle. Slow down, macho mouse. What is going on?"  
Throttle tried to shake off his anger, mainly because he needed to focus on the task in hand.  
But also because Charley had no good memories of angry men.  
He didn't want to rattle her.  
But it was hard.  
Harder than usual.  
Knowing it was for the best to keep his mouth shut until he'd calmed down a bit, he ignored her question and his gaze wandered through the room that was full with all sorts of technology, most of which he didn't recognize.  
But then he spotted a black device with a microphone on a stand beside it.  
"Is that it?", he asked to confirm, thereby breaking the almost awkward silence.  
"Yes. Vinnie and Modo aren't coming?", Charley asked slowly as she walked closer to him, clearly confused by his behavior.  
Still avoiding her gaze, Throttle shook his head in response as he sat down in the chair next to the radio, his hands already turning sweaty.  
"Why not? What happened? Is everything okay?"  
_No, it isn't._

"That's none of your business", the tan-furred mouse answered instead, his voice as cold as ice while he studied the radio in front of him.  
"I see. Well, I leave you to it. I suppose you know how it works", Charley answered shortly and she was about to walk away when Throttle grabbed her hand to stop her, his anger suddenly vanished like smoke in the wind.  
"Charley, wait. I'm sorry. I shouldn't take it out on you, that's not fair… I'm just... a little on edge, I guess, but that's hardly an excuse…"  
He looked into her beautiful green eyes and took a deep breath.  
"I uh… I'd really like you to stay… and not because I don't know how the radio works, because I think I _do_ know how it works, it can't be that difficult, after all, Earth seems to have a backlog when it comes to technology, but on the other hand, I'm not very handy with tech, never have been, I'm more like an analog kinda guy, but not in a nerdy kinda way..."  
He was babbling like some kind of idiot and he suddenly was very grateful for his thick fur that covered his now burning cheeks.  
Charley's face softened and her eyes started to twinkle with amusement while she listened to his drivel, which in turn made him feel even more embarrassed.  
He forced himself to stop talking and used the small moment of silence to grab himself together.  
And he knew, there was no need to pretend, not anymore.  
He might as well give in, right here, right now.  
For it was clear.  
He needed her by his side, despite the fact that it was his ex who was on the other side of that radio.  
He just needed her, period.

So, he pulled out the chair next to him with his tail and looked up at her again.  
"What I'm trying to say is… I need you here. This is one talk I don't look forward to and I just… Well, it would help me if you stay."  
For a moment, Charley just stared at him, as if she was trying to burn a hole in his skull to find out his intentions, but then she smiled that beautiful smile of hers and sat down next to him.  
"If that helps, sure, no problem."  
Throttle smiled back, even though it felt a bit fake.  
Knowing that he was about to talk to Carbine made him more than just nervous, strangely enough.  
Charley must have felt it, because a soft squeeze in his hand made him look down and he felt a tingle in his belly when his gaze landed on their entwined hands.  
She was still holding his hand.  
That gave him just the strength he needed and after letting out his breath, he pushed the small button on the stand of the microphone.  
_Here goes nothing._

"Throttle reporting as requested, General."  
At first, there was only the sound of static that filled the entire room and without really realizing it, his grip around Charley's hand tightened.  
It was ridiculous how nervous he was and he simply didn't understand why.  
Luckily, he didn't have to wait long before her characteristic hoarse voice came over the speakers, confirming what he deep down had known from the moment Milo had walked into that room.  
It really was her.  
Carbine.  
"_Hey there, stranger."  
_Throttle closed his eyes for a moment and even though he still felt numb, there was a sense of relief he had never felt before.  
This was crazy.  
Beyond crazy.  
"Carbine… I can't believe my ears. I thought you were dead…", he eventually managed to bring out, staring at Charley's thumb that now softly rubbed the back of his hand.  
"_Same here. You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice, Throttle."  
_There was a tone in her voice he hadn't heard before.  
It came close to despair, but that was ridiculous, right?  
Carbine wasn't exactly the type for despair.  
She was like a frozen rock.  
Hard as stone.  
Cold as ice.

"How did you find me?"  
"_Apparently, someone put a price on your head. Making friends already, huh?"  
_The bounty.  
That could only mean she was on Earth too.  
"Hehehe, yeah, well, you know us. Friendly as ever", Throttle chuckled a bit uncomfortable.  
He hadn't really thought about it, but hearing her say this made him realize this whole thing was, indeed, very typical.  
"_Oh, I know alright. It wasn't that hard to guess it was you guys. I suppose Vinnie and Modo are okay?"  
_"Yeah, they're fine. How about you? Where are you?"  
"_From what I've heard, were near a place called Los Angeles."  
_Throttle glanced at Charley with questioning eyes.  
"California", she whispered.  
Why was she whispering?  
And why was he grateful that she did?  
Shaking his head a bit confused, he focussed his attention back on the conversation and braced himself for his next question.  
One he hardly dared to ask but needed to be asked anyway.  
He needed to know.  
"What about the rest? What about… Stoker?"

It took a little while before Carbine finally responded.  
That couldn't be good.  
His breathing rate increased as he waited for her to answer, staring at the radio with an intensity as if he could force the answers out of it.  
Charley shoved her chair a bit closer to him and her warmth embraced him.  
It calmed him down in a way only she could achieve.  
"_He's alive. Barely. We all managed to survive the crash, although it nearly killed Stoker and Mika, one of the younger soldiers. I guess we're lucky that Stoker is simply too stubborn to die, otherwise, things would be different now. Our bikes are toasted. So is our spaceship. The only bright side is that I ran into a few humans when I was exploring our surroundings. They live underground and were kind enough to help us, to take us in. A bit naive huh, given everything that is going on here? But you don't hear me complaining because without them, we weren't talking right now… We really passed through the eye of the needle."_

Again, she fell silent for an uncomfortable amount of time and even though he had no idea what to say, Throttle opened his mouth to break it.  
Everything was better than this suffocating silence.  
But, as usual, Carbine beat him to it, a thing he usually hated but now appreciated.  
Although it wasn't in the way he'd expected.  
"_Things have been hard, Throttle. I thought things couldn't get any worse when we fled from our planet, but I was wrong. I was so wrong. Yes, Stoker is alive, but I need to be honest; we have no idea if he's gonna pull through. The humans are doing the best they can, but there's hardly enough food and water for all of us, let alone medical supplies. But we've got nowhere to go, not with Stoker in this condition. Not without our bikes. And now the Plutarkians know that there are Martian Mice on Earth, I don't think it's gonna take long before they find us here. And who knows what happens if they do? I'm tired, Throttle. So tired…"_

Slowly, the numb sensation got replaced by something else.  
A nauseating feeling, sinister and dark.  
It didn't hesitate to squeeze his throat, nor it stopped from turning his heart into stone.  
Strangely enough, it wasn't really a feeling.  
More like a… _pressure_.  
And it suddenly hit him.  
He now understood what his body was trying to tell him.  
_Guilt.  
_While listening to her story, to the helplessness her voice radiated, guilt pressed its heavy weight on him.  
The first thing that occurred to him was that she didn't deserve this.  
Not after that deep black day, that was already hard enough on itself, hard enough to crush someone's spirit.  
All he ever wanted for her was freedom.  
And now she was stuck in a hole in the ground, while their mentor was slowly dying, surrounded by people she barely knew, waiting for death itself to take her away as well.  
How was that even fair?

And to make things even worse, all this time that she was fighting to stay alive, still desperately fighting for freedom, he had been here.  
_Here_.  
In Camp Hope.  
All safe and sound.  
Not fighting for his life or those of his bro's, no, the only thing he had been fighting was stopping himself from falling in love with a human named Charley.  
And look how well that turned out.  
He'd spend his time, _precious _time he now understood, with stupid things like flirting, eating and sleeping while she and Stoker were fighting for their lives.  
Fighting for their right to exist, once again.  
It made him sick.  
Sick of himself.  
How could he betray his own people like that?  
He should've tried harder to find them, instead of riding on a pink cloud.  
_Unbelievable_.

His gaze landed on his hand, which was still holding Charley's.  
The pit in his stomach got even worse and as if stung by a Martian Bee Bee, he pulled back his hand.  
This was wrong.  
Wrong on so many levels.  
Charley gave him a confused look, but he ignored it.  
Her warmth, that had been like a comforting blanket just seconds ago now felt stifling and he shoved his chair a bit more to the left.  
Away from her.  
Her confusion hurt him, it cut straight through his soul, but that he ignored either.  
There wasn't really that much of a choice.  
With a trembling tan-furred finger, he pushed the small button again, almost praying that his voice wouldn't let him down.  
"Listen. I'm coming to get you, you hear me? I have no idea how long it's gonna take, but you need to believe me when I say that I'm gonna do everything within my power to be there as fast as possible. You think you can hold on for a little while longer?"  
"_Rushing out to save the damsel in distress, huh? My hero", _Carbine responded and Throttle knew her long and well enough to know that she was now having that typical small smile around her lips.  
The smile that once used to drive him crazy.  
In a good way, that is.  
The smile that had made him fall for her from the moment he'd laid eyes on her.  
It was years ago, but it suddenly felt as if it were yesterday.

"Well, you know what they say; never let a lady down."  
It was an attempt to make a joke, to lighten up the mood, but it hardly succeeded.  
He'd never felt this terrible.  
"Hold on, okay Carbine? I'm coming to get you, I promise. Just… hold on."  
"_I will if you promise me to stay safe. I would hate it if I lose you…"  
_Throttle squeezed his eyes shut, suddenly close to being overwhelmed by tears.  
The pain in her voice was almost too much to bear.  
It told him that the one thing he thought would never happen, happened anyway.  
The tough General Carbine was broken.  
And it broke his heart.  
His heavy heart.  
But there was nothing he could say to make it better.  
All he could do was to promise her that he would come for her and the rest.  
A promise he intended to keep at any cost.  
It felt like he owed that to her.  
He knew he did.  
"You're not gonna lose me. I promise. Just as I promise that I'm gonna get you out of there. Keep this frequency open, okay? So we can stay in touch."  
"_Copy that. Be careful out there, Throttle. It's a mad world."  
_"You know I will. You take care now, Carbine. Until we meet again."  
"_Until we meet again. Carbine over and out."_

The silence pressed against his eardrums and Throttle rubbed his face as he still fought back his tears.  
Suddenly, a warm hand on his shoulder.  
A soft voice, close to his ear.  
A warm breath.  
"Throttle… I think I know you well enough to know that you're blaming yourself. But I also think I know enough to tell you that isn't fair. This isn't your fault."  
The tan-furred mouse shook his head in denial, still hiding behind his hands.  
"You're wrong. It's my responsibility to take care of my people. I've let them down. I should've tried harder to… to do _something_. They're in trouble while I'm here..."  
He couldn't speak further.  
He couldn't say it out loud.  
Charley grabbed the armrests of his chair and firmly turned it into her direction.  
"Look at me, Throttle."  
When he didn't, she gently grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her anyway.  
Straight into her breathtaking green eyes, that were now filled with compassion.  
The warmth of her fingers spread through his body, even though he tried to fight it.  
But as he already had learned the hard way, fighting his feelings for this beautiful creation didn't exactly make things easier.  
Then again, what choice did he have?  
_None. _

"There was nothing you could've done and you know it. Don't be so hard on yourself…"  
She didn't understand.  
How could she?  
This was something no one could ever understand, for it had something to do with his deep-rooted love for Carbine.  
Even though he knew deep down that the light-grey-furred General was like poison, he still loved her.  
He was doomed to always love her, for the rest of his life.  
But then there was Charley.  
Like a breath of fresh air...  
Charley laid one hand on his cheek and her thumb rubbed his tan-colored fur.  
"Don't do this to yourself… It can only end badly, trust me, I know."  
In her attempt to comfort him, she came closer and closer.  
And all Throttle could do was to just stare at her, plagued by guilt.  
But something stopped him from turning his head the other way.  
He even leaned closer to her, so close, he could now see the microscopically small brown flecks in her eyes.  
Her scent filled his nose, that amazing scent he still couldn't give a name.  
It made him dazed and for a moment, the pressure of guilt was gone.  
Only being this close to her was enough to make him go into a trance, to make him feel as light as a feather.  
_Hope.  
_Everything around and inside of him just vanished.  
Faded as if a fog rolled in.  
And it was just him and her.  
Her and him.  
She closed her eyes as she slowly closed the gap between them, so did he…

'_I'm tired, Throttle. So tired...'_

Out of nowhere and with an ear-deafening volume, Carbine's voice echoed through his head right before his lips made contact with Charley's.  
His eyes flew open and he pulled back so quickly, he almost fell out of the chair.  
Charley opened her eyes as well and Throttle could see her pain that was caused by this almost cruel rejection.  
Another thing to feel guilty about.  
It suddenly felt as if the walls were closing in and breathing became more difficult.  
He needed to get the hell out of here.  
Right now.  
He jumped at his feet, searching for a way to explain this to her, to tell that none of this was her fault.  
But he couldn't find the words.  
"I'm sorry, I just… I just can't…", he stuttered.  
Knowing this was the best he could give her right now, he quickly turned around and stumbled out of the room.  
The pain in Carbine's voice still ringing in his head.  
The look on Charley's face burned in his brain.  
The war had shattered Carbine.  
Did he just shatter Charley?

'_And the shadow of the day...  
__Will embrace the world in gray.  
__And the sun will set for you...'_


	20. Chapter 20

Hey there.

Thanks for the reviews, also a big thanks for those who have reviewed my short story "Can I Stay With You?"  
A special thanks for **Morning**, if you're reading this; your sincere and kind words hit me straight in the heart, in a good way, of course.  
Thank you for that.  
It means the world.

Anyway, on with the story.  
A chapter that is written from Vinnie's POV for a change. I figured it was time to shine a light on his thoughts and feelings in a way I can't achieve if I'm writing from Throttle's POV.  
I hope you like it.

Enjoy, and feel free to leave a review when you're done.  
Till next time, my loyal readers.

Ciao!

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Vinnie stared at the ceiling of their tent, the tip of his tail dancing under the blanket that was supposed to give him warmth and security but felt like a prison instead.  
He couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried.  
Despite the great fight with Dante and his people today, the restlessness was already back in full force, which was highly uncommon, even for him.  
Usually, it took a few days to get back to this level of unrest, but not here.  
Here.  
_Earth.  
_Being here did something to him, just as it did to his bro's.  
They probably weren't aware of the fact that even he was able to see it, but little did they know.  
It wasn't really that hard to miss, though.  
Things were messy ever since they set foot on this planet.  
If you asked him, that had largely to do with Charley.  
Not that she was aware of it.  
If only she knew what she was causing.  
Perhaps it was better that she didn't.

Determined to get some sleep, the white-furred mouse closed his eyes again, but his heart still pounded in his chest.  
And much to his annoyance, it didn't take long before his mind brought him back to that store, to that moment the missile made impact.  
That moment that seemed quite meaningless but wasn't, at all.  
Because at that very moment, Charley had succeeded to get inside his head.  
Again, without her knowing.  
But ever since that moment, she was all he could think of.  
The burning desire that had been close to overwhelming was still there, dormant, waiting to be awoken.  
He wasn't sure what it meant.  
What he did know was that it drove him crazy.

His eyes flew open again and with a growl, the white-furred mouse rolled on his side.  
His gaze landed on Throttle, who was lying with his back towards him.  
His bro and leader.  
His best friend.  
His only family at this point.  
Vinnie felt a pang of guilt staring at Throttle's back, deep down knowing perfectly well that he went too far today by provoking the tan-furred mouse until he snapped.  
He knew it was wrong, and yet, he did it anyway.  
It all had something to do with that burning desire, that was pulling his strings like a puppet master.  
And to be honest, his competitive side didn't help either.  
It wasn't a lie when he told Modo that this was far from over.  
He wasn't going to back down, not as long as that nagging craving was ruling his body.  
He couldn't just ignore it.  
Besides, he stuck to his point.  
Throttle was not as innocent as he claimed to be, for he hadn't told Charley about his -in Vinnie's eyes- weird and incomprehensible relationship with Carbine.  
And she had every right to know, especially if Throttle was planning on making a move on her and Vinnie knew for sure that he was.  
His anger today had proven that.  
The guy was obviously head over heels, completely lost.

But was that really why he told Charley that Carbine was Throttle's girlfriend?  
_No.  
_That was simply to decrease Throttle's chances with her.  
So vicious, even for him.  
He knew it was.  
And yet, he did it anyway.  
Hardly surprising, given this was about to become the story of his life.  
It already was, actually.  
_Think before you speak.  
_His mom, may she rest in peace, had tried really, _really_ hard to get that phrase into his head, but it somehow just didn't stick.  
Most of the time, when he realized he was saying something that might hurt someone's feelings, it was already too late.  
Of course, when that happened, he could always apologize to that certain person, but he never did.  
Because telling someone you're sorry meant you had to be vulnerable.  
And he didn't do vulnerable.

But that didn't mean he didn't feel it.  
_Guilt.  
_At first, he didn't.  
Even though it wasn't really something to be proud of, he truly loved to provoke people.  
He just loved to see that he was pushing the right buttons, to crawl under someone's skin.  
It gave him a strange feeling of power.  
But soon after he and Modo came back from their ride to clear the head he'd realized that this time, he'd crossed a line.  
Provoking people was one thing, but pushing someone you cared for, someone who was like the only family you had left straight over the edge, that was just downright low.  
He knew Throttle was having a really hard time after what happened that last day on Mars, not really surprising given the fact that the guy always felt so responsible that Vinnie sometimes wondered how in the world he was able to live his life -and enjoy it too from time to time- without collapsing under the heavy weight that this responsibility brought with it.  
He also knew that Charley had rocked the tan-furred leader's foundation, but instead of taking account of his feelings, there he was, playing a competition in the foulest way he could come up with.

So yeah, he did feel guilty.  
That had gotten even worse when Throttle stormed inside their tent after his talk with Carbine which, given the look on his face, hadn't been pleasant.  
As expected, of course.  
Not that the tan-furred mouse had told them anything about it, no...  
He'd only barked at them -a la Carbine style- that Stoker and Carbine were in California, that they were in trouble and that is was up to them to ride out first thing in the morning for the rescue mission.  
And then he just went to bed.  
Well, he went to bed after ordering Modo to tell Charley she needed to be ready at dawn.  
And, as befits a soldier, the grey-furred giant did.  
But Vinnie wondered why their beloved leader hadn't told her himself after his talk with Carbine.  
Something must have happened.  
_But what?_

Of course, Vinnie had been very relieved to hear that Stoker was still alive as well, but reading between the lines, the brown-furred leader of the resistance was in a bad shape.  
But it all seemed to come together now, with their friends being in stuck in California, the very same place they had been planning to go anyway to take out the big fish.  
And, obviously, Vinnie had no trouble to come to the rescue, beating up some bad guys in the process and be the hero.  
Those were the moments he lived for, after all.  
Even if the damsel in distress who needed to be saved was none other than Carbine.

Still, this short moment of contact with his leader had left a bad taste in the white-furred mouse his mouth.  
Throttle hadn't said a word to him about their fight.  
He hadn't even _looked_ at him.  
He was upset about something, as in _really _upset and Vinnie couldn't help himself but feeling a bit worried about his friend.  
To be honest, he'd never seen his leader being this..._out of control.  
_Being so _desperate _about whatever it was that was eating his tail.  
Apparently, even the always calm and fearless leader had his limits.  
It must have something to do with Charley and Carbine and therefore, Vinnie felt even more guilty for giving his friend such a hard time by provoking him the way he had done.  
But even though he felt guilty about it, he still didn't _regret _it.  
He was right, after all.  
Like he always was.  
Well, most of the time.  
_Meh_.  
Always.

Modo didn't agree, though.  
His older bro had told him during their ride that he needed to stop being such a hypocrite.  
It had made him even angrier in the first place, especially when the grey-furred giant had explained why he was saying these harsh words.  
"_You're accusing Throttle of not telling Charley about Carbine, but you didn't tell her about Harley either. So stop using this as an excuse to cover up your real intentions, whatever they may be."  
_Hearing Modo's words echoing through his head now only made him feel a bit nauseous and he knew deep down that his big bro might be right about the _'using it as an excuse'_ part.  
Still, in his humble opinion, this was far from the same.  
How could it be?  
Carbine was very much alive, after all.  
Harley, however…  
Harley was as dead as someone could be.  
Stone-dead.  
And as far as he knew, dead people weren't a threat.  
Alive ex-girlfriends were.

_Gosh, Harley…  
_Only hearing her name coming out of Modo's mouth today made him feel miserable in a way that didn't really fit with him.  
But the painful truth was that her death kept following him everywhere he went.  
Seeing someone you don't know die right in front of you was horrific.  
But seeing someone you love taking their final breath...  
There were simply no words that could describe what that did to a person.  
_How could she leave him on his own?  
_  
Vinnie squeezed his eyes shut and gave himself a firm mental shake.  
_No_.  
Not this again.  
She was dead and that's that.  
There was no need to dwell on the past.  
To revel in sadness and pain.  
Look what that did to Carbine.  
It had turned her into a monster.  
He didn't want to be a monster.  
He was way too pretty to be a monster, besides, it didn't match with his optimistic character.  
It was hard, though.  
Being optimistic in times of war.  
After losing so much.  
But he forced himself to be.  
To stop himself from going crazy.

Speaking of which, why was he still lying here, listening to these thoughts that were far from uplifting?  
Good question.  
With only one answer.  
Vinnie got upright and threw the blanket off of him as he rubbed his burning eyes.  
His _two-colored _eyes.  
He still was completely clueless about what to think of it, how to feel about it.  
But he didn't want to add that to the things that were already keeping him awake.  
And even though his body gave enough signs that it needed sleep after this very busy day, his mind was far from done with brooding, that he knew.

So, after quickly putting on his usual attire, he tiptoed outside, for once as quiet as a mouse.  
Not really his style, but the last thing he wanted was to wake his bro's.  
They would ask him what was wrong and he just didn't want to talk about it.  
He never did.  
He just wanted to work on his bike to distract his wide-awake brain from trying to depress him before he might give in, for this fight -that went on twenty-four-seven- was more than exhausting.  
Sometimes, he caught himself wondering what would happen if he gave in, which was ridiculous because he already knew the answer.  
_So, no...  
_He would never give in.  
He would keep fighting it till his final breath.  
He simply refused to go down that path, the path he knew without walking it himself.  
His mom had given him the answer to the question of what happened to those who did.  
It had driven her crazy and eventually, it had killed her.  
No way he was going to follow her in her footsteps.  
_Never._

_**…**_

Once inside the garage, Vinnie sat down on his bike, strangely enough exhausted and a bit out of breath after the short walk. His head still hurt after his uncool fall today and Throttle's flawless right hook didn't exactly help either.  
The silence pressed against his eardrums, making the thoughts in his head even louder.  
Silence.  
He hated silence.  
It gave too much room to the voices in his head.  
Those voices, that were there every minute, every hour, always.  
_Whispering_.  
Letting his breath whooshing out, he turned on the radio from his bike, expecting to hear only static.  
Instead, heavy metal immediately blared out of the speakers with the volume still on level _'tail_ _whipping'_ and it almost blew him off his bike.  
"Holy shit, talk about another extreme", he breathed as he quickly muted the radio, hoping it hadn't woken up the whole camp.  
Usually, he wouldn't care that much, but he had the unexplainable need to be alone right now.

After turning the volume down, he put the music back on, which was now loud enough to chase away the voices in his head but soft enough to at least keep the windows from shattering.  
A thing Charley probably wouldn't appreciate and he was so not in the mood to be at the receiving end of a woman's wrath.  
_When will he ever be?  
_As he listened to the music, two things happened at the same time.  
One; a calm slowly came over him and even though it wasn't enough to stop him from feeling the always present restlessness, it was at least enough to shut up his over productive brain.  
Two; he knew the music, which was weird, since he was on Earth, a planet he'd only known by name before all this.  
And since he hadn't changed the frequency since they got here, it could only mean one thing.  
The signal he had picked up on Mars turned out to be an Earthly radio station.  
_Ha.  
_It's a small world after all.

He closed his eyes and with the characteristic sound of guitars caressing his eardrums, he allowed himself to let down his guard, even if it was only for a few seconds.  
But it felt good.  
To lower his walls.  
To just… being there.  
Without constantly being on high alert, worrying if there perhaps might be someone who would try to force him to show his _'true self'_, to talk about his feelings, to tell him he needed to let the pain in instead of pushing it away, to take off his mask…  
_Blablabla.  
_As if.  
He _only_ let his guard down when he was alone.  
To breathe.  
Sometimes, a mouse just needed to breathe.  
And so he did.  
As a result, his body slowly started to relax, limb by limb, muscle by muscle…  
"Couldn't sleep?"

His heart almost gave out by the sudden sound of Charley's voice and Vinnie's eyes flew open as he almost fell off his bike.  
Luckily, his tail reflexively wrapped around the footrest on the right side of his bike to save him from that embarrassment.  
"Holy moly, you scared the shit out of me", he breathed without thinking as he looked straight into a pair of tired green eyes, his heart still racing in his chest.  
"I did, huh? What happened to _'I'm not scared of anything'_?", Charley smiled as she walked inside, closing the door behind her.  
Vinnie felt his cheeks turn red, now remembering again why he never let his guard down.  
It made him so uncool.  
"I _am _not scared of anything. You just caught me by surprise with your stunning appearance, that's all", he quickly tried to save his imago as he build back his walls with the speed of light, but as Charley had shown him before, she wasn't that easily impressed.  
"Right. Except for spiders, you mean."  
Vinnie raised his eyes to heaven as he draped himself over the windshield of his bike, sighing excessively loud.  
"Ugh. Am I ever gonna hear the end of this?"  
"Nope."  
"Fuck my life", the white-furred mouse muttered under his breath, knowing that she was right.  
That small moment of thoughtlessness was going to follow him for the rest of his life.  
_Great._  
_Just great.  
_Charley only chuckled as she opened one of the drawers under the counter and Vinnie now suddenly realized she was really here.  
Here, in the garage, with him.  
Without anyone else.  
Alone.  
With her.  
_Oh boy._

Suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, he quickly jumped off his bike and grabbed a wrench without even looking at which size it was.  
He didn't care either, as long as he had something to do instead of just sitting there.  
But, when he kneeled next to his bike, he noticed that in his hurry to be the cool and in control guy he'd taken the one wrench that didn't fit on any screw or bolt on his beloved red racer and he closed his eyes for a moment as he grinded his teeth, cursing himself for being this careless.  
Of course, he could just stand up again to get one that was the right size, but that would make him look stupid.  
As if he had no idea what he was doing, which was ridiculous considering he was the so-called mechanic of their small group.  
The fear of loss of face was one of the many reasons he never let his guard down.  
Loss of face…  
_Oh, the irony.  
_Anyway, it was time to be creative.

Peeking over his bike, he saw that Charley was still occupied with searching whatever it was that she needed and he quickly snatched another wrench of the counter with his tail.  
"So... You couldn't sleep either?", he asked so-called nonchalant, glancing at the tool that was now in his hand and a huge relief washed over him when he saw this was something he could work with.  
"Obviously", Charley answered absent-mindedly.  
"Why not? Something on your mind? Like me, for instance?"  
She now looked into his direction and Vinnie shot her one of his most charming and innocent smiles.  
"No worries, sweetheart. You're not the first girl I give a sleepless night."  
He suddenly realized that comment conveyed a dual message, but of course, the words had already left his mouth.  
But he stopped himself from trying to make it at least sound a bit decent.  
After all, he was only telling the truth and since when was that wrong?

"I can imagine that the headache you gave them was enough to keep them wide awake", Charley responded as she broke eye contact to continue her search.  
"What I gave them helps _for _headaches, doll", Vinnie pointed out as he too continued his work with a little smile on his face.  
Because even though she pretended his comment didn't do anything to her, her now increasing heartbeat told him otherwise.  
So, his charms didn't leave her unmoved.  
Quite the opposite actually.  
That was good.  
And as expected, of course.  
There weren't many women who didn't succumb to his charms.  
Why would a human be different?  
Okay, okay, it took a little while before she did, but it appeared that he wasn't the only one affected by that short but intense moment in the store.  
_Hush.  
_Now was _not _the time to think about that.  
Who knew what he would do if he let his mind go back to that moment?

When it remained silent, the white-furred mouse glanced at the human woman out of the corner of his eye, but only to find her leaning against the counter with folded arms while her green eyes gave him this intense look that could only mean trouble.  
The words that followed confirmed that theory.  
"Are you okay?"  
A bit taken back by this question, Vinnie blinked a few times, his brain already making overtime to find out how it was possible that the conversation went from flirty to serious in like, ten seconds.  
But he was completely clueless.  
As mentioned before, women were the most complicated creatures ever made and most of the time, he had no idea what was going on inside their sophisticated head.  
So, he decided to answer the question with a question to unravel this mysterious thing called a woman's mind.  
"Why do you ask?"  
"Because between all the bravado and smart-talk, you seem awfully sad."  
_Oh.  
_This was bad.  
As in, code red bad.  
Apparently, she was gifted with eyes that were able to see right through him, a bit like Throttle, maybe.  
_Abort._

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm fine", Vinnie told her, but even he couldn't ignore the fact that it sounded anything but convincing.  
Even worse, he suddenly got overwhelmed with the urge to just open his mouth and tell her everything that had happened in his short and miserable life, to tell her about all the bad shit that had made him who he was nowadays, that defined him.  
It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time and it shook him to the core.  
Apparently, she wasn't only able to see right through him.  
Apparently, there was something about her that made him want to open up.  
To lower his walls in her presence, a thing he hadn't done in years now.  
_Dammit._

She was still looking at him, he could feel her gaze almost burn a hole in his skull and he quickly leaned over his bike to supposedly focus his attention on screwing a bolt that was in reality still as tight as it could be, but right now, he was willing to do anything to stop this madness before it even began.  
Unfortunately, because of this position, the necklace that was like a millstone around his neck fell out of his hoodie.  
And since luck wasn't on his side right now, Charley's keen eye didn't miss it.  
"What's that?"  
Vinnie closed his eyes for a short moment, but he then got back upright as his right hand enclosed the medallion to put it back where it belonged.  
And to his utter shock, he noticed that his hand was shaking.  
_Shaking.  
_He was starting to understand why Throttle was thrown off his game by this woman.  
She was nothing like the others.  
She _cared_.  
A dangerous thing in times like these.  
But at the same time, it was the exact thing that made her special.

With the necklace now thoroughly hidden again, Vinnie looked at her as he bit his lower lip, contemplating his next move.  
His two-colored eyes took in the compassion in her green eyes, her cute little nose, her beautiful soft-looking lips…  
"It belongs to someone I deeply care for."  
The words were already out before he even realized it and he wasn't sure why that still surprised him.  
But one thing he did know for sure now.  
This woman was dangerous.  
Very dangerous.  
She was able to make him talk about things he didn't want to talk about by only _looking _at him.  
And instead of feeling the expected urge to run away as far as he could, the insatiable craving for her became even worse.  
He felt attracted to her like a Martian Motty Moth to the light and his left ear twitched when the burning desire washed over him again.  
"She died, though. I took it from her body. It's all I have left of her. To remind me that she really existed. That I didn't make her up."  
_For crying out loud, stop talking._

"I'm sorry to hear that. It's cruel, to lose someone you love", Charley said softly as she now stared at her feet.  
"He doesn't deserve you grieving for him", Vinnie blurted out when he saw her pain.  
Not really subtle, but no one ever said he was.  
Charley's face darkened and Vinnie braced himself, but much to his surprise, she nodded before running a hand through her auburn-colored hair while heaving a sigh.  
"I know. And yet, I do. And I hate myself for it."  
_Oh.  
_This had now gotten from _just_ complicated to _extremely_ complicated and the white-furred mouse put his hands in his pockets, shuffling his feet in unease.  
As usual, his big mouth had brought him into trouble and he had no idea how to talk himself out of this one.  
Luckily for him, he didn't have to, because the radio on Charley's belt suddenly came to life.  
"_Sam for Charley, over."  
_Also looking a bit relieved, the human female took the black device and brought it to her mouth.  
"Charley to Sam, go ahead, over."  
But the expected response didn't come and Charley narrowed her eyes in confusion.  
"Charley to Sam, go ahead, over", she repeated a bit louder, but static remained the only reply.

The human female looked at Vinnie with a frown on her face.  
"That's weird…"  
"Who is Sam?", the young mouse asked as he tilted his head, now on high alert too.  
Something obviously wasn't right here.  
"One of the guards that's stationed at the gate."  
"How many guards are there?"  
"At night? Two."  
Vinnie stared at her, for a moment too stunned by this answer.  
"What?", Charley asked when she saw his look.  
Her ignorance was cute, as well as astonishing and the white-furred mouse stopped himself from rolling his eyes just in time.  
"Look, sweetheart, I don't wanna sound insensitive, but you don't honestly think that two guards are enough to cover the whole area, right?"  
She looked back at him with fuming eyes, clearly, she felt insulted by these words.  
"Don't take me as a fool. They're able to see everything that happens within a five-mile radius from the watchtower and if there's only so much as a small sign that indicates trouble, they wake up the camp. Max has thought it all through, this way I'm able to protect as many of my people as I can and it works."  
"Until now."  
"Until now", Charley confirmed with a mopey face and focussed her attention back on the radio.  
"Sam, are you there?"  
Another silence.  
"Why isn't he answering?", she mumbled before pushing the small button again.  
"Sam, come in."

Suddenly, there was an instant response.  
It just wasn't the one they expected.  
"Sam is a bit occupied, I'm afraid. Being held at gunpoint is an all-consuming task, after all."  
Charley's face paled and her green eyes flashed to Vinnie and back to the radio.  
"Who are you?"  
"It doesn't matter who I am. So, why don't you just call me… John?"  
"Fine, _John_. What do you want?"  
"I'm here to collect a bounty, one that you know about, I imagine. So, here's what we're gonna do. You are going to hand over the three alien mice all nice and quietly and good old Sam here will be fine."  
Charley tightened her grip around the radio, almost breathing fire and Vinnie made a mental note to himself that this was no woman one wanted to piss off.  
"And what if I refuse?"  
"My people have your camp surrounded. I think you can guess what happens if you don't do as I say and looking around me, at what you've established here, I've come to the conclusion that the safety of your people is very important to you. So don't try to do anything stupid. Just bring me the mice and no one gets hurt. You have my word."  
Seeing her taking a deep breath, preparing herself to explode, Vinnie quickly laid a hand on the radio and gently but firmly pushed it down.  
"Easy now, little miss Hothead. Yelling at him won't work. Just tell him that you'll cooperate."  
The human female now pointed her fuming eyes at him and the young mouse couldn't stop himself from being impressed by seeing her fire.  
It was kind of a turn on, actually.  
_So misplaced. _

"Are you crazy? I'm not just gonna hand you over to some bozo's who are driven by greed, that's…"  
"Exactly what you're gonna do, sweetheart", Vinnie finished that sentence before she could do it herself as he mounted his bike, a lot less worried than Charley.  
To be honest, he was kind of happy with this distraction, which seemed callous because Charley's people were in danger, including the lady herself.  
But this was something he knew how to handle, instead of talking about feelings and stuff. He was back on known ground and there were no words that could describe his relief.  
"Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves. It's cute, though. That you care", he added with a wink and a crooked smile before he put on his helmet.  
"I care about _everyone's _safety, that's my job, remember?", Charley snapped back with red cheeks.  
"Whatever helps ya sleep at night. Now, tell our new friend John that you'll do as he says and go wake up my bro's. I'll distract them to buy us some more time."  
"I'll go with you. I'll show them what happens when you mess with this camp…", but Vinnie already shook his head.  
"Ah ah, no dice. This is muno mucho macho stuff, so chill. I've got this. Besides, if you really wanna help, go wake up my bro's. They will skin me alive if I go party without them and bloody just ain't my style."  
When he saw that she, again, opened her mouth, he simply started his bike and the roaring engine overruled her protest.  
"Sorry, can't hear ya", he yelled over the noise, pointing at his with a helmet covered ears with a so-called apologetic look on his face, but his lips curled into an amused smile when he saw her cute little ears turn red in anger.  
She really was a feisty one.  
_Great, ain't it?  
_"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some asses to kick, some people to safe, ya know, the usual. Just another day at the Hero Office. Later!"  
And after popping a wheelie, he blew her hand kiss and sped out of the garage, leaving a very grumpy Charley behind.

As he made his way to the gate, his blood pressure already started to rise and it was so tempting to just jump over the fence and open fire at anyone who happened to be in his way.  
But even Vinnie knew he couldn't.  
Not with this many innocent lives at stake.  
_Bigger picture.  
_Perhaps he was finally starting to learn.  
_Ugh_.  
When he was close to the watchtower, he pushed a few buttons on his bike.  
Not only to make the weapons come out, but also to silence her roaring engine to make sure he could approach without someone noticing.  
He still had the element of surprise and for now, he intended to keep it that way.  
Even though nobody who knew him would agree, he _did_ have brains and he sure as hell knew how to use them.  
Most of the time, he was just too lazy to do it.  
Besides, thinking things through was boring.  
And he didn't do boring.  
Most of the time, that is.  
This was one of those rare exceptions.  
For now.  
Just until he knew what he was dealing with here.

His bike came to a halt next to the watchtower and the young mouse dismounted.  
"Stay here, sweetheart, but be ready to rumble."  
The cherry-red racer gave a soft beep in return and Vinnie looked up.  
The tower was indeed high enough to look over the fence from all four sides. After cracking his knuckles, the young mouse started his climb up.  
And while he was using his hands, feet and tail to get higher, his sensitive hearing caught the sound of voices, the one louder than the other.  
The loudest one wasn't that hard to recognize after hearing it over the radio.  
That had to be John.  
"She better don't fuck with us, pal. If she does, you can say bye-bye to that tiny little brain inside your head."  
"You heard her yourself, she's gonna cooperate. She won't put her people's lives at risk for three aliens. But she ain't no miracle worker, ya know. Just give her a few minutes to take care of it", another voice answered from which Vinnie assumed it was Sam.  
For a guy who was held at gunpoint, he sounded pretty calm and to Vinnie's joy, he played the game perfectly well.  
_Cool.  
_That would make his arrival even more unexpected and therefore, more fun too.  
"She better do as I say."  
"She will."

Vinnie stopped climbing when he was right under the open window in the back of the watchtower and used the night-vision mode in his helmet to take in the surrounding.  
He counted about fifteen men, five at the gate and five at each side of the camp and by the looks of things, they were all armed to the teeth.  
Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see what was happening behind the fence at the back of the camp from this position, but it was probably safe to guess it were five as well.  
Knowing that there were two guards in the tower, he could assume John was there with at least one buddy to hold the other guard.  
How they got up there without Sam and the other guard noticing was kind of a mystery to him, but he knew when it came to money, people suddenly got creative.  
Come to think of it, who needed money when the world you once knew was gone?  
On the other hand, money never lost its value, no matter how broken the world was.  
That he had learned on Mars.

Anyway, as far as he could tell, Dante's guys were nowhere to be seen, but if he had to believe Throttle, the man would keep his word.  
So, that meant they were probably on their way.  
All these findings added together made him come to the conclusion that for now, he was clearly and by far outnumbered.  
Any other person would be worried about that fact, but not him.  
Of course, he could wait until the cavalry in the form of his bro's and Dante's men arrived.  
It would be the sanest thing to do.  
But where was the fun in that?

After securing himself with his tail, Vinnie leaned against the stainless steel base of the watchtower to do a quick check on the weapons he always carried with him, no matter where he went.  
Two leg holsters, each carrying one of the best ray guns ever made.  
Three grenades attached to his belt.  
A handful of explosive flairs in his lower pocket.  
An ankle holster with his small handgun.  
And last but not least, his knives, thoroughly hidden in his sleeves in case he got caught.  
It should be enough, certainly if he counted his bike in.  
His bike that was like a bomb on wheels, as Carbine so friendly pointed out right before their last fight on Mars.  
He still didn't understand her problem.  
In his humble opinion, this fact made the fight even more exciting.  
_Well… duh. _

While he was checking the surroundings one last time, a plan started to form in his head.  
It was without a doubt a dangerous and probably suicidal plan, but he wouldn't trade for less.  
And it was quite simple, actually.  
Just lure them out and bring the fight to someplace less risky.  
"And how do you lure them out, punk?", the young mouse imitated Stoker's heavy voice, soft enough for no one to hear him.  
"Well, that's easy. Provoke them until all they wanna do is hunt down your tail and kill you", he answered with his own voice before switching back to Stoker's.  
"Very good. You're the best pupil I ever had. In fact, you're even better than me!"  
"Oh, Stoker, stop it yous… What can I say? It's a gift, being me", Vinnie chuckled softly, highly amused by this uplifting conversation with himself as he continued to climb.  
An almost devilish grin appeared on his face by the prospect of executing his awesome and hazardous plan.  
Fuck sanity.  
Let's do this, van Wham style.  
_Oorah.  
_They won't know what hit them.


	21. Chapter 21

Hey you guys.

Thank you so much for the reviews!  
And to the new followers; welcome and thanks for supporting me!

It took a while before I was able to update because _damn_, a lot of shit was happening at the same time.  
Some good, some bad, but don't worry, I won't bother you with the details.  
And when I finally had the time to write again, I had to overcome a major writer's block, even though I have the whole storyline mapped out in my head, I even know how it's gonna end.  
Still.  
Sometimes, it's the details that are being a pain in the ass.

But, when I finally got back in the flow, I really enjoyed writing this chapter.  
Actually, I really enjoy writing this story, for it feels different than my previous ones...  
Anyway, I'll stop talking and let you guys read in peace XD

Feel free to leave a review, but no pressure :)  
Again, thanks for your support and till next time.

Later dudes!

Ps: go read SpaceFlora's stories, they are epic! :)

* * *

**Chapter 21**

'_Sometimes, the end justifies the means.'_

_**...**_

In the meantime, Vinnie wasn't the only one of the famous trio who was having a restless night.  
The only difference was that Throttle _did _manage to fall asleep but instead of being somewhere peaceful, he got caught in that horrible place between sleep and being awake, his brain treating him on restless dreams that didn't make any sense but felt so real at the same time.  
Kind of like fever dreams without a fever.  
They were mostly about Carbine dying in front of him in the cruelest ways, over and over again, while he just stood there, watching, unable to help her.  
The pain he felt by each time seeing her taking her final breath right before his eyes while hers were filled with accusations took away tiny pieces of his already damaged soul and yet, he couldn't wake up, even though there was nothing in this world he wanted more right now.  
So, he was kind of relieved when someone whispered his name in his ear, even if it almost made him jump out of his fur at the same time.  
"Throttle, wake up…"  
His eyes flew open as he jerked upright, grabbing his glasses in the process, a thing he'd learned after years of practice.  
When the world around him became sharp, he looked straight into Charley's green eyes and the first thing that hit him was that she was upset about something.  
"Charley, are you…", but she didn't let him finish his sentence.  
"There are people here on the verge of invading this camp because of that goddamn bounty. So rise and shine, macho mouse. You've got some work to do."

Throttle blinked a few times as his still dazed brain processed her words, still feeling the burning look of Carbine's accusing eyes.  
His gaze wandered to the bed next to him, expecting to see his youngest bro lying in one of his characteristic and most uncomfortable positions but, much to his surprise, the bed was empty.  
After inhaling the air he concluded that it was empty for a while already, since Vinnie's scent was hardly perceptible.  
His eyes landed back on Charley, who was looking grumpier than he'd ever seen her before and he felt a pang of worry.  
"Where's Vinnie?"  
"Saving the day, being the hero, you know, doing what he probably always does. Putting everyone on the sideline so he can bask all the glory", she murmured back.  
Throttle couldn't help himself but smile, for it was now clear to him why she was being this cranky and oh boy, did he know how annoying that white-furred loudmouth could be sometimes.  
"I can see that you're starting to know him."  
"Well, it ain't that hard."  
Throttle shook his head in agreement and even though he suddenly felt that nagging feeling of jealousy after realizing that Charley had been alone with Vinnie, he was glad that his young bro had stopped her from tagging along with whatever it was that was going on.  
Apparently, the white-furred youngster _did_ have some working brain cells left in that swollen head of his after all.  
However, it also meant that Vinnie was chasing the bad guys on his own, which was a bad idea for many -and in his opinion obvious- reasons and his smile vanished like snow in the sun.  
The woman was right.  
There was, indeed, work to do and the tan-furred leader slid out his bed, carefully avoiding touching Charley in any way, for he knew it would only distract him.  
"Tell me what happened."

But when she didn't answer, he looked up at her, only to see her staring at him with a blush on her cheeks and the tan-furred leader suddenly realized he wasn't wearing any clothes.  
Well, except for a pair of underwear, that is.  
And where he usually wasn't ashamed of his body, for he knew it was in good shape, he now felt extremely uncomfortable under her intense look and he quickly grabbed his pants and put it on.  
That seemed to snap Charley back to reality and she quickly turned around.  
"I'm sorry, I uh… I was just uh… I dunno, just… a bit distracted I guess", she stuttered and Throttle could only feel flattered by the fact how he seemed to affect her, just like she did to him.  
But it soon got overshadowed by the agonizing guilt as Carbine popped up in his head, her helpless voice echoing through his head and his ears drooped.  
"Just… tell me what happened", he repeated toneless, straight through Charley's weak attempt of explaining why she had been staring at him the way she did.  
He didn't miss her flinching, but he quickly focussed on getting dressed while the young woman did what she was told.

As he listened to the sound of her voice, he noticed that his body wanted to relax, to give in, but he pushed it away and used his tail to wake up his beloved grey-furred bro, who immediately flew upright with his arm cannon already popping out.  
"Whoa, easy big fella, it's just me", Throttle breathed as he held up his hands.  
Modo blinked a few times and then relaxed again.  
"Whoops, my bad. Thought you were one of those ugly sewerbreaths", he chuckled while scratching the back of his head with a sheepish look on his face.  
"Why, thank you. That doesn't hurt my feelings, at all", Throttle replied dryly, but then he grew serious again and he filled his bro in on the situation.  
"So, the bottom line is that Vinnie is out there on his own with about a thousand opportunities to get carried away. The good news is that it's still very quiet outside, so perhaps we're on time to stop him from burning down the camp by himself because of his… _enthusiasm_", Throttle finished the explanation.  
"We better hurry then", Modo partially joked as he already walked outside, knowing his friend and leader was right.  
Unleashing that boy usually meant even more trouble.

"Hey, and what about me? I'm just gonna sit here while you save the day? _Again?!_ Is this gonna be a thing now? This is _my_ camp, those are _my_ people! It's my job to protect them, not to just do nothing", Charley protested when Throttle wanted to follow his bro outside, but he now turned around to face the stubborn and brave young woman.  
"You need to get ready to leave. I thought we had more time but, clearly, I was wrong. We can't stay here, every minute that we do we're putting innocent lives at risk, but I don't need to explain that to you. You wanna help? Then get ready. Let us handle this, so you can use the time to say a proper goodbye. I know you and your people need that. If you still wanna come, that is...", he added a bit insecure, not knowing if it still was a good plan for her to tag along, which was nothing more but self-preservation and therefore most selfish.  
By the Gods, he had never felt this confused, it was like he got ripped apart and the pain was unbearable.  
But what choice did he have?

Charley's lower lip started to tremble, but she nodded anyway with her green eyes burning in determination and he could only admire the strength she had in her.  
"Of course I'm still coming. You're not gonna get rid of me that easily."  
Not entirely sure whether she was joking around or actually being serious, Throttle just gave her an uncomfortable smile and turned around in another attempt to leave, but a warm hand grabbed his to stop him again.  
"Throttle, wait…"  
He already knew what was coming, even before she said another word.  
He wanted to tell her that now wasn't the time, even though he knew that it was the exact right time.  
Who knew what would happen out there?  
She wanted answers and that was her good right too.  
But was he able to give them to her?

After bracing himself, he turned around again and looked into her sad but burning eyes.  
"Look, if you wanna talk about what happened, we were both upset and..."  
"Is Vinnie telling the truth? Is she your girlfriend?", Charley cut him off and he fell silent again, for a moment not knowing what to say.  
The image of the hurt look on her face when he turned her down this afternoon flashed before his eyes and sheer sadness washed over him when he realized what he was doing to her.  
She deserved so much more than this.  
He couldn't keep her on a leash, that wasn't fair.  
Perhaps there had been something beautiful blooming between him and that amazing creature with her marvelous green eyes, but everything had changed from the moment he knew that Carbine was still alive.  
Hearing her voice today had brought him back to reality, had woken him from this thing that now felt like a dream.

"Please… I need to know", she breathed, looking at him with pleading eyes and he turned his gaze the other way when the pressing guilt got accompanied by an aching heart, deep down knowing what he had to do.  
No matter how much it pained him, he couldn't be with her as long as Carbine was still there.  
Not as long as he was stuck in this prison that had nothing to do with love, but was love at the same time.  
_Incomprehensible love_.  
He couldn't expect her to understand, for even he hardly did.  
So, he wasn't even going to _try_ to explain.  
There was only one thing to do and only one way to do it.  
Even if that meant he needed to lie to her, a thing he had promised not to do.  
_Sometimes, the end justifies the means.  
_Driven by guilt, he made one of the hardest decisions he'd ever made and after taking a deep breath, he looked her straight in the eye.  
"Yes. He's right. I should've told you, I'm not sure why I didn't. I'm sorry, but whatever it is that is going on between us… it can't happen. We can't be together. I belong to her. I always will."  
And without waiting for an answer, he turned around as tears burned behind his eyes, much to his annoyance.  
He knew he had made the right decision, that this was the right thing to do.  
Then why did it feel so wrong?

_**...**_

'_Sometimes, solutions aren't so simple...  
__Sometimes, goodbye's the only way…'_

**_…_**

"You think she's gonna hand them over, boss? Just like that?"  
"If I need to believe Sam, she will. And you wouldn't lie, now would you, Sam? It's your life that's on the line, after all."  
"Thanks for the reminder, as if the gun in my face ain't no message itself."  
"Watch the attitude, pal."  
While listening to the conversation, Vinnie silently climbed through the open window in the back of the tower and took a quick look at the situation.  
There were five people in the room -including the two guards who were both tied up to a chair- all with their back towards him.  
It appeared that John had brought two people to hold the guards at gunpoint instead of getting his own hands dirty, a thing Vinnie already suspected after hearing two voices he hadn't heard before.  
Such a tough guy.  
_Not_.  
His two-colored eyes now landed on the back of the man from which he assumed was the big boss himself, but he didn't look like one.  
Not even close, actually.  
His clothes were ragged and dirty and by seeing the way they hung loosely on his body, Vinnie concluded that the man didn't have an ounce of fat on his body, let alone a few muscles.  
Still, never judge a book by its cover, or perhaps better said; a criminal by his appearance.  
Even the skinny ones could be dangerous.  
Crazy.  
Vinnie hoped he was.  
As in; insane in the membrane.  
_Insane in the brain!  
_That would make this whole thing even more fun.

While looking at the scene in front of him, the white-furred youngster folded his arms with a grin on his face.  
Even though he _hated _sneaking, he abso-_fucking_-lutely _loved _a good surprise attack from time to time and he leaned back against the windowsill, highly amused by the fact that they still weren't aware of his presence.  
_Suckers.  
_"You better be right, Sam. I want those mice and nothing will stop me from getting what I want. Not even killing you", John continued as he still looked outside at whatever it was that he saw and Vinnie rolled his eyes by hearing this uninspiring threat.  
Surprise attack or not, there was no way he could listen to this blabbering any longer and so, he decided it was time to make his presence known.  
"Be very, _very _careful what you wish for, John, because you might as well get it."  
Their response was priceless and proved that they were, indeed, clueless about him being here, because they all almost jumped out of their skin.  
One of John's friends even let out a high squeak as he turned around, although he was still clear-headed enough to keep the gun in place, so was his friend.  
But that was okay.  
Otherwise, it would be too easy.  
And easy was boring.  
John turned around so quickly that he almost fell face forward on the floor and Vinnie shook his head in disbelief because of these amateurs, still leaning against the windowsill while casually spinning one of his ray guns around his right index finger.  
"I think the question is… are you up for it if you do?", he finished his welcome speech as he looked at John from under his lashes as if he was _Mister_ _Innocence_ himself.  
It was more like a rhetorical question, for it was obvious that they weren't.  
Not even close.

For a moment, John just stood there, looking like a complete idiot with his brown eyes as big as saucers, but then he narrowed them as his ears already turned red, clearly not amused by the fact that he had been blindsided.  
"_What?!_ How dare you to just barge in here as if you're in control of this situation?!", he spit out as he grabbed his gun and aimed it at Vinnie, who was far from impressed.  
Well, perhaps he was impressed, but not by the gun.  
He simply couldn't wrap his mind around the stupidity of this man.  
Judging by John's reaction, this was the last thing the guy had expected, which said a lot about his experience as a criminal and the young mouse immediately knew that this man was nothing like Dante.  
No, this man was nothing more but an amateur.  
Which was good.  
Otherwise, this whole plan would be compromised.  
And that would be such a shame.  
Such a waste.

"Hm, do I detect a little hostility here?", Vinnie asked so-called puzzled as he arched a brow.  
"I mean, I heard that my great presence was required here, so here I am to brighten your day, just like you wanted. So what's up with the attitude, man?"  
But John didn't seem to be in the mood for his smart mouth, just as Vinnie had hoped for.  
"Shut up! I'm the one who asks the questions around here. Where are the other two?!"  
"Other two?", the white-furred mouse responded surprisedly and he quickly looked around him as if he was searching for something before he gave John an ignorant and almost sheepish look.  
"It's just me, man. There's no one else."  
"Nice try, but I've been told that the bounty is for _three_ alien mice, not one! So tell me, where are they?"  
"Humans… _So_ slow on the uptake. Well, you're lucky that I'm such a nice guy, so here's a small word of advice: don't believe everything you hear. It makes you look stupid."

John's head got even redder now and if a human could breathe fire, he would have, much to Vinnie's joy.  
_So far, so good.  
_"You have a pretty big mouth, mouse. Like I said; I'm calling the shots here! Or did you forget that I'm having two hostages here? So cool it, before someone gets hurt."  
"Oh, yeah, about that…", Vinnie started as he pushed himself off the sill, the tip of his tail dancing but still with a slightly mischievous smile on his face.  
"You won't be needing them anymore, so why don't you just let them go, huh?"  
His voice gave away a hint of a threat, so did his body language, but John still didn't seem to know where he was getting himself into.  
He was visibly irritated by the lack of respect that Vinnie showed him, but that was exactly what the young mouse hoped to achieve.  
The guy obviously missed the fact that he was being played here, but then again, he didn't look like he actually had brains.  
And since Vinnie was so familiar with this game, he already knew that John was going to deny his request, because they always did.  
Well, this was the first time he tried it on a human, but why should they be any different?  
Okay, okay, Dante excluded.  
But that was just a whole other story.  
And indeed, as if on cue, the man shook his head.  
"Do you think I'm stupid? The moment I let them go, you'll kill me. So, drop your weapons and surrender. Then we'll see what will happen next."

Vinnie heaved a sigh, pretending to be disappointed as he walked over to John and laid a hand on his shoulder as if they were besties instead of enemies.  
"Oh, John… And here I was, thinking you were smart enough to understand..."  
Which was a lie, obviously.  
Even though John was clearly confused by this so-called friendly behavior, he clenched his teeth and slapped Vinnie's hand away, but that that only encouraged the white-furred mouse.  
Knowing he was pushing the right buttons, Vinnie now put an arm around John's shoulders and pulled him closer.  
"Lemme explain. You're _far _from having control, with or without hostages. So, here's what you're gonna do and _puhlease_, do me a favor and listen carefully, because I'm not gonna tell you twice, even though I love to hear myself talking... You're gonna be a nice little criminal and let these two innocent people go. Then you'll call back your minions and that includes the ones outside, in case you thought I hadn't seen them."  
He then turned his head closer to John's ear.  
"And for fuck sake, grow a pair and deal with me yourself instead of putting on this freakshow. It's pathetic, really", he whispered before pushing the human away.

After stumbling a few steps, John turned around to face Vinnie again, who studied him carefully.  
And, much to his joy, there was a glance of insecurity visible in John's eyes that wasn't there before.  
The hand that was still aiming the gun at him now slightly trembled, another sign that good ol' John was about to break.  
But Vinnie already knew that action soon was required.  
To give the final push.  
Certain action, one he didn't like but was sometimes necessary.  
_Sometimes, the end justifies the means.  
_It couldn't be more true.  
It was important for the young mouse to keep in mind that these people were the bad guys.  
That they played with their lives by following this path.  
And that he was a Freedom Fighter, who had vowed to do whatever was necessary to protect the innocents, even if it made the line between good and bad even more blurry than it already was.  
Growing up in a broken family _and_ a war, Vinnie hardly knew what the definition of good or bad was.  
He had his own way of looking at things and he stuck to it, for he truly believed in it.  
So, he knew what to do to get through to John.  
It was risky, though.  
Difficult.  
Dangerous, too.  
_Ha!  
_Sounds like a perfect way to spend this restless night, to blow off some steam after all the things that went down between him and his beloved leader because of Charley.  
Sweet Charley.  
Sweet, sexy Charley.  
Sweet, sexy and feisty Charley…  
_Focus, macho mouse._

Right.  
Back to John.  
Who now seemed to have found the way back to his manhood, because the insecurity in his eyes got replaced by determination and hatred as he straightened his back.  
As expected, of course.  
Stupid, but expected nevertheless and the young mouse braced himself.  
"No. I…"  
But before he could say another word, Vinnie already came into action.  
In one smooth movement, he grabbed his other ray gun and aimed it at one of John's comrades.  
Without blinking, he pulled the trigger and the head of the poor guy exploded with a sickening crack and a rain of blood.  
It was crazy, what laser did to a head.  
_Dishonorable_.  
The guard -the one who was held at gunpoint by the unfortunate fellow- let out a scream in horror, clearly rattled by this sudden and unexpected turn of events.  
Perhaps even by the risk that the young mouse had taken just now, for there were about a thousand things that could've gone wrong with him paying the price.  
The shower of blood probably didn't help either.  
But Vinnie wasn't worried, at all.  
He knew exactly what he was capable of and he happened to have quick reflexes.  
The guy never stood a chance.

With the gun in his right hand still pointed at John, Vinnie now aimed the still smoking one at the man who was standing behind Sam, who already closed his eyes, probably knowing what was next.  
John's minion gave him an almost pleading look, however, he didn't lower his gun.  
He was clearly loyal to John, but fear seemed to work its way through his body now.  
And the sad truth was that scared people were unpredictable.  
Because of that fact and that fact alone, some would say that the young mouse was putting innocent lives at risk, like Sam's, for instance.  
But Vinnie knew John wasn't going to kill Sam, simply because the guard was the only reason why he was still breathing.  
Well, that's what he thought.  
And exactly what Vinnie wanted him to think.  
To protect Sam.  
That John could open fire at him didn't really occur to him.  
He was used to putting his own life at risk, he even loved it and moments like these made him feel almost invincible.  
As if nothing could get to him.

"Still feeling in control, _John_?", the white-furred mouse asked sweetly as he reloaded the gun with a loud click, adrenaline now rushing through his veins.  
Oh, how much he loved to play this game.  
It was a good thing that Throttle wasn't here.  
Or Modo.  
They would've stopped him.  
As if he didn't know what he was doing.  
But he did.  
He knew _exactly_ what he was doing.  
He knew every risk, perhaps that was the reason why he enjoyed this so much.  
It was risky as fuck.  
_Insane.  
_It made him feel alive.  
In fact, he _needed _this to feel alive.  
Well, not the killing, of course.  
That was just… _collateral damage. _

John stared at the dead body for a little while, but then he looked up at Vinnie with fuming eyes, his whole face twisted in some kind of grimace.  
By the looks of things, the human still hadn't learned his lesson.  
_Such an idiot.  
_"How dare you…", but again, Vinnie stopped him by shooting the other guy in the head too.  
"Wrong answer, John. Try again."  
John now stared at Vinnie, gasping for air like a fish out of the water as he lowered his gun.  
Even though he was beyond furious, he finally seemed to realize that he wasn't exactly in control of this situation and that he'd lost this battle.  
_One for the baddest mamma jammer in the universe...  
__Zero, nada, niente for the angry little criminal.  
_But, probably much to John's surprise, Vinnie lowered his weapons too.  
"This was just me evening the odds a little bit. Using innocent people to get what you want is both sickening and stupid. Look where it's gotten your friends", and he pointed at the two dead bodies.  
"Their blood is on your hands and yours alone."  
As he was talking, he walked closer to John and by each step he took forward, John did one backward, until he was standing with his back against the wall close to the open window in the front.  
Vinnie poked a finger in his chest.  
"You want me, John? Then you'll have to catch me first. So, what are you waiting for, huh? Come at me, _punk._"  
It felt strangely satisfying to use the nickname that Stoker always used for him on someone else and the left corner of his mouth curled up into an arrogant but amused smile, he just couldn't stop it.  
_Oh man, what a night. _

But instead of attacking, John climbed on the windowsill and Vinnie heard a loud click.  
It wasn't the characteristic sound of loading a gun though and the young mouse soon realized what it was.  
It also answered his question about how they got in here in the first place.  
A zipline.  
Clever, he had to give him that.  
Not that he was going to say it out loud, of course.  
Neither was he going to stop John from escaping.  
It was all part of the plan, after all.  
"This ain't over, mouse! Mark my words, you're gonna pay for this!", and without waiting for an answer, John jumped out of the window to disappear in the dark with a zooming sound.  
"Don't be a stranger!", Vinnie called after him before he turned around as one of his knives slid out of his sleeve.  
"Shouldn't you go after him?", Sam broke the silence as he rubbed his sore wrists after Vinnie had cut the ropes.  
"Yeah, he's getting away. Or worse, he's gonna attack the camp", the other guard agreed while he tried to rub away the blood on his face, but he only made it look worse.

Vinnie shook his head, still not even close to being worried.  
"Nah, he won't. You guys okay?"  
After sharing a look, both of the guards nodded.  
"Thanks to you. You took one hell of a risk, though", Sam breathed, but with a smile around his lips.  
"Hey, what's life without taking a few risks? Boring, if ya ask me", Vinnie snickered, but then his sensitive hearing caught the one thing he had been waiting for.  
"Ah, sounds like my fans are calling for me. Gosh, I love it how predictable you humans are. Later fella's!"  
And he too jumped out of the window into the dark night, but not without hearing Sam saying something to his fellow guard, something that made him smile.  
"Crazy or not, I like his style."  
Hehe.  
_Nailed it._

**_…_**

As Modo and Throttle rushed towards the garage to get their bikes, the grey-furred giant glanced at his bro and leader, almost feeling the waves of distress radiating from his body.  
He had thought that the tan-furred mouse had been off _before _his call with Carbine, but little did he know.  
The poor guy was obviously chewing himself up on the inside and Modo had a nagging feeling why.  
"Charley still coming?", he asked to open the conversation.  
For a moment, it seemed as if Throttle hadn't heard him, but then the tan-furred mouse shrugged.  
"To be honest? I don't know. Not after what I said to her…"  
The pain in his voice made Modo's heart heavy and he heaved a sigh, for he already knew what was going on here.  
_Guilt.  
_Guilt was Throttle's worst enemy, it always had been.  
The guy would deny his own luck to please the ones he loved, to a certain level, that is.  
It wasn't that he didn't have his own will or his own path to follow, because he had, and he sure as hell wasn't submissive.  
But when it came to Carbine, all bets were off and the familiar sense of powerlessness washed over the grey-furred giant when he realized what Throttle had done.  
He had chosen Carbine.  
_Again_.

Modo wasn't one who was resentful, unlike some of them, but Carbine always seemed to bring out the worst in every person she encountered and knowing she was doing it again made him furious all of a sudden.  
But it soon got replaced by sadness.  
She wasn't always like this.  
There had been times that she was a warm and caring person, but the war had taken away pieces of her soul until there was nothing left.  
She was damaged beyond repair, a classic case of bitterness after living in a war for too long.  
After seeing and doing things one didn't even wish upon his worst enemy.  
It was the same reason why it was so hard to hate her.  
She was a victim, just like anyone else.  
But, sadly enough, she knew that too.  
And she used it to keep Throttle close, even though there wasn't any love left inside of her, not even a spark.  
She was dead inside.  
And if Throttle wasn't going to be able to break her chains, he soon would be too.  
There was only so much a mouse could take.  
There was always that point of no return, and since Modo knew Throttle so well, he knew that the tan-furred mouse was close to that point.  
_Too_ close.

"She doesn't deserve you, bro", Modo sighed, almost paralyzed by that awful feeling of being powerless, for it was all too familiar.  
He knew that it didn't matter what he said.  
Throttle wouldn't listen.  
He never did.  
The grey-furred giant had learned that the hard way.  
Even though his friend and leader was fully aware of the fact that Carbine was like poison to him, he still didn't leave her side.  
Modo had hoped that Charley was able to break this stupid and negative spiral, but he was wrong.  
_Obviously_.  
She had been close, closer than anyone probably would ever get, but again, Carbine had put a spanner in the works.  
It was tempting to think that all of this would be so much easier if she had just died in that crash, but that was a step too far for the warm and loving grey-furred mouse.  
Still, it had crossed his mind and not because he wanted her dead.  
No, only because he wanted the best for his bro.  
His bro and leader, who deserved a shot at happiness more than anyone in this world.  
His bro and leader, who -by the way- ignored his comment.  
Nothing new.  
But when he wanted to change the subject, a loud bang broke the silence and the two male mice shared a look, both knowing how firing a Martian ray gun sounded like.  
"That doesn't sound good", Modo mumbled.  
It soon got followed by another bang.  
"Nope, not good, at all", and Throttle quickened his pace, so did his grey-furred bro.

When they reached the bikes, Throttle immediately put his helmet on and activated the radio.  
"Vincent, what's your 20?"  
Another bang in the distance was the only response and the tan-furred leader jumped on his bike, shaking his head in annoyance.  
"Why is it so hard for that kid to stay in line?", he grumbled as he sped out of the garage, followed by Modo.  
His annoyance grew even bigger when the banging swelled to the characteristic sound of a firefight and he clenched his teeth.  
"Vinnie, come in."  
Relief rushed through his veins when Vinnie's high-pitched voice finally came over the speakers.  
"_Heeeeeey fearless leader! Finally awake to join the party?_"  
The excitement wasn't really that hard to miss, for it almost blew up his eardrums, and Throttle's relief already got replaced with anger again.  
This whole thing could only mean trouble.  
"Yes, so I want you to stand down until we're there, you hear me?"  
"_Loud and clear._"  
Throttle tightened his grip around his handlebars, trying very hard to stop himself from exploding.  
"I wasn't being literal, Vincent."  
Suddenly, he heard some static noises but it was clear to him that it was Vinnie himself who produced them and that there was nothing wrong with the radio.  
"_Sorr… can't... ear ya, I'm… iving into... tunnel, gottagobye!_"

Throttle didn't even have to try to reach him again to know that the young mouse had turned off his radio and he slammed his tan-furred fist on the tank of his bike, which beeped back angrily in return, but the tan-furred leader ignored it and gave Modo a helpless look.  
"What am I doing wrong here, Modo? Why does that boy never listen to what I have to say?"  
Modo gave him a sympathized look, knowing the only reason why his bro was reacting the way he did was because of everything that was going on right now.  
Because even though Vinnie was the most stubborn mouse in the entire universe, most of the time he _did _listen to the tan-furred mouse, simply because he respected him.  
He even looked up to him.  
And most of the time, he meant well.  
He was just… a bit rebellious from time to time and who could actually blame him?  
After everything he'd been through.  
So, the answer to this question was actually quite simple to him.  
"Has it ever occurred to you that he's doing these things to make you proud?"

Taken back by this answer, Throttle slowed down a bit as he processed the words.  
To be honest, he had never thought about it like that.  
It did make sense, though.  
But as much as he appreciated the effort, he just wished that the young mouse would try to earn his respect in a different way instead of just diving in without thinking about the possible consequences.  
Then again, perhaps he just wished that the young mouse didn't have the feeling that he needed to make him proud in the first place, for he already was.  
Proud.  
Just as he already respected him.  
Maybe he just never said it enough.  
Another thing to feel guilty about.  
Letting out his breath, he opened the gas again.  
"Let's just follow the trail of wreckage and see if we can do some damage control, okay, big fella?"  
"I didn't say this to make you feel guilty, bro, I just…", Modo started when he saw Throttle's look, already regretting his words, but the tan-furred mouse held up his hand to stop him.  
"Let's just… go. Our first priority is keeping this camp safe, so that's what we're gonna do."  
And without waiting for a response, Throttle closed his visor and hit the accelerator again, leaving a worried Modo behind in a cloud of dust.  
_Oh, momma.  
_It seemed that he had been right.  
His tan-furred bro was about to break.  
And the question was; would he ever be whole again if he did?  
Or would he be past the point of no return?

_**...**_

'_Take me down to the river bend...  
__Take me down to the fighting end.  
__Wash the poison from off my skin...  
__Show me how to be whole again.'_

_**...**_


	22. Chapter 22

Hey you guys...

Thanks again for the reviews!  
As for the silent ones out there; thanks for reading my story.

Not much to tell, so let's get to it.  
Feel free to leave a review and till next time!

Later dudes!

* * *

**Chapter 22**

'_A mouse is never too old to try something new.'_

_**...  
**  
_

_A few minutes earlier…  
_After making a few -in his opinion _smooth_\- backflips, Vinnie landed on one of the platforms behind the perimeter.  
Without slowing down, he climbed on the fence, using the sharp points to hold himself with both hands and tail and when he looked down at the gate, a big grin appeared on his face.  
Humans really were predictable.  
And his plan was working better than he could've imagined.  
After being humiliated the way he was, John was now hell-bent on revenge, but he seemed to realize that he needed some back up to do so.  
So, he'd ordered his crew to regroup at the gate, knowing now that taking hostages wasn't the way to approach this mission.  
Which was good.  
Because now all the white-furred mouse had to do was lure them away from the camp, take them down in a less high-risk environment and voilà, he'd saved about a hundred lives, all by himself.  
Was he good, or what?  
_The best._

For a moment, he just observed John, who was talking with his crew with a face like thunder as he made wild gestures with his arms.  
He was clearly not amused, which in turn amused Vinnie, proud that he -and he alone- was responsible for the human's bad mood.  
What amused him even more was that John and his crew turned out to be bikers too.  
A detail that made this whole thing even more fun, because there was nothing better than a wild-goose chase on bikes.  
_Oh, man.  
__What a night.  
_It was already the best he had in years, and that was saying something.  
But some things were even better than sex.  
Crazy, but true.  
Anyway, it was time to get this show on the road and Vinnie leaned forward as he whistled between his teeth.  
"Looking for me, boys?"

John swirled around and, again, he almost lost his balance.  
Man, talk about a deja vu.  
_Hehe.  
_This guy, honestly.  
Obviously, no one ever convinced him to take a few ballet lessons, which was clearly a lost opportunity.  
_A classic case of bad parenting._  
The rest looked up too and -as if on cue- all aimed their gun at Vinnie, who just waved back at them, still with that grin chiseled on his face.  
John did a few steps forward with some sort of ecstatic look on his face, probably thinking that he was back in control again.  
That theory got confirmed as soon as the not so big boss opened his mouth again.  
"Who's in control now, huh, _mouse_? Now, as the reasonable man I am, I'll give you _one _chance to come down and surrender yourself. But really, one chance is all you get. I should take it, if I were you…", the human male advised as he gestured around him, probably referring to the people who all held Vinnie at gunpoint.  
_Oh, John…  
_Such a slow learner.  
The young mouse wrinkled his nose by hearing the word _'surrender.'  
_Such a dirty word.  
_Ugh.  
_"Never. I rather die than to be sold to the fish by some knucklehead like you."

The fact that Vinnie still didn't treat him with the respect he probably thought he deserved, not even now he had a whole team holding a gun in his face made John almost explode out of his skin.  
"You're _crazy_, that's what you are! Look around you, _goddammit_! You don't stand a chance! I've got about twenty-five men who all have itching hands to plant a bullet in your head, so…"  
_Blablablabla_.  
Vinnie shook his head in disbelief as he listened to the human's blabbering.  
_Again_.  
Honestly, was this guy even for real?  
Did he not learn anything from what happened in that tower?  
Did he not know that he needed to put his words into deeds?  
Apparently not.  
He _really_ was a slow learner, alright.  
Vinnie heaved a sigh as he grabbed his gun, aimed it at one of the guys in the front and pulled the trigger.  
"Twenty-four, you mean."  
Blood splattered all over John and the human stamped with his right foot on the ground in pure fury as he let out a scream in frustration.  
"_STOP KILLING MY PEOPLE_!"  
It was kind of cute though.  
Like a kid who didn't get his way.  
"Make me", Vinnie challenged him with a cheeky smile.  
"And _STOP_ with acting like you're in control! You're clearly outnumbered…"  
He _really_ didn't get it, now did he?  
_***BANG*  
**_"Twenty-three…"

For a moment, John stared at him with bulging eyes, breathing heavily.  
But then finally... _finally, _he snapped.  
_Damn, took him long enough.  
_"Get him! _GET_ _HIM_!", he roared in anger and everyone including him opened fire at the white-furred mouse, who jumped down as he whistled for his bike.  
The cherry-red racer flew over the fence with roaring engine and while still in the air, Vinnie landed on her seat and quickly put on his helmet in the process.  
After what he liked to call a _flawless _landing, he hit the brakes and popped a wheelie as he looked over his shoulder with a challenging smirk on his face.  
"Come on, _John… _Catch me if you can!"  
As soon as the front tire made contact with the ground again, he hit the accelerator, soon followed by the whole crew including John and Vinnie howled in excitement, happy that the guy _finally _took action instead of boring him with his empty threats.  
Oh man, nothing could spoil this night!  
"_Vinnie, come in."  
_Okay, except for that.

"Heeeeeey fearless leader! Finally awake to join the party?", he already blurted out before he could stop himself, but hey, what's new?  
Well, he could've just ignored it.  
_A mouse is never too old to try something new.  
_Maybe, but he knew Throttle.  
And he knew that when the tan-furred mouse was pissed, ignoring him would only make it worse.  
As far as that goes.  
It was crazy, but as much as Vinnie liked to rebel, he truly hated it when Throttle was angry with him.  
As in; _really_ angry.  
He was more than aware of how highly contradictory that was, but that's just the way things were.  
No one ever said that he wasn't complicated, because he was.  
Either way, he always got a bit nervous when he was on Throttle's bad side.  
And when he was nervous, he became even more hyper than he already was.  
And when he was hyper, his brain just shut down.  
And when his brain shut down, he said stupid things.  
Okay, okay, even _more _stupid things than usual.  
_Ugh.  
__Everyone's a critic._

But, of course, Throttle knew him too.  
Sometimes a bit too well, for his taste.  
So, his response didn't really come as a surprise.  
"_Yes, so I want you to stand down until we're there, you hear me?"  
_No.  
"Loud and clear."  
It wasn't even a lie.  
After all, there was nothing wrong with the reception.  
_Unfortunately.  
_But again, Throttle saw straight through him.  
"_I wasn't being literal, Vincent."  
_He wasn't?  
_Hm...  
_What to do, what to do?

The white-furred mouse looked into his mouse-shaped side mirror to see that John's crew was still hunting down his tail, just like he wanted and he suddenly felt a pang of anger.  
He'd saved the people from Camp Hope and Throttle was _still_ giving him a hard time.  
_Why though?  
_Why couldn't he just be proud, just for this one time?  
This wasn't fair.  
It never was, dammit.  
So fuck this.  
He was going to finish this on his own terms, and his terms alone.  
To show Throttle what he was capable of on his own.  
All he needed was time, so he did the first thing that popped up in his head to wriggle himself out of his plight.  
"Sorr… can't... ear ya, I'm… iving into... tunnel, gottagobye!", and he quickly turned off his radio.  
_So mature.  
_Thanks.  
_And there wasn't even a tunnel.  
_So?  
Who cared about the details?

Anyway, with that taken care of, Vinnie had bought himself the extra time he needed.  
Time he intended to put to good use, and so after creating a bit more distance between him and the group, he hit the brakes and made a 180 with squealing tires.  
After pushing some buttons, weapons popped out of his bike and he locked eyes with John, who was in the front line of the group, as befits a leader.  
"Go ahead… Make my day…", Vinnie challenged the human with a low voice as he narrowed his eyes.  
_Gosh, what a great line.  
_It made him feel even more badass than usual, a thing he never thought possible.  
But it just did and his finger slowly made its way to the button on his right handlebar as he aimed at John's front tire.

But just when he was about to take the shot, the sound of a heavy machine gun firing coming from behind him made him almost jump out of his fur.  
"What the…", and the white-furred mouse looked over his shoulder, only to see two of Dante's trucks standing lined up behind him.  
The sound he heard came from the semi-automatic machine gun on top, each manned by one guy, letting down a hail of fire on John's crew.  
_Right_.  
The cavalry.  
With the _worst_ timing _ever_.  
"No, no, no, _NO_! This is _MY_ party!", Vinnie yelled in an attempt to stop them as he looked back at the small group of humans who now started to drop like flies, being no match for heavy artillery such as this one.  
Therefore, it wasn't really a surprise that as soon as the last word had left his mouth, silence already descended on the battlefield and the young mouse stared at the dead bodies that now lay scattered throughout the asphalt.

Perhaps it was a bit hypocrite to say that the humans didn't deserve this.  
To be slaughtered like helpless sheep, not able to fight back.  
Deep down, Vinnie knew that they would've died anyway.  
A Freedom Fighter didn't take prisoners.  
Not after being betrayed for so many times.  
_Do or die_.  
_Kill or be killed.  
_War didn't exactly leave one a choice.  
Still, this felt wrong.  
His gaze landed on John, who lay on his back as blood poured out of the dozens of bullet holes in his skinny body, being deader than dead.  
His now empty brown eyes stared up at the clear but dark sky and Vinnie clenched his fists in anger.  
This didn't just feel wrong.  
It was bigger than that.  
They had stolen his fight.  
And now here he was, his whole body as tight as a drum because of the adrenaline that was still rushing through his veins.  
Adrenaline he now had no idea what to do with, because they had stolen _his_ fight.  
The _nerve_ of these guys...  
This was like stealing away his food.  
_No one_ ever got away with stealing his food.

With squealing tires and burning rubber, he turned his bike to face the unwanted cavalry with fuming eyes and a bristled fur.  
"What the hell was that for, huh?! I got here first and it was _my_ turn to blast hem!"  
"Yeah, well, you snooze, you lose", one of the men responded and Vinnie gritted his teeth.  
For a moment, the angry white-furred mouse and the stoic humans got caught up in an intense stare-down, but then the trucks started their engine and made a sharp turn to drive back to where they came from.  
One of the drivers opened his window and gave Vinnie another dirty look.  
"You're welcome, _punk_."  
"And I do all the snappy lines around here, too!", the young mouse called after them, but the trucks were already gone as fast as they came.  
The silence that now pressed on his eardrums made him almost explode out of his fur and without thinking, he rammed his fist on the dashboard of his bike in frustration.  
About five missiles and ten laser beams came out of the front as a result and exploded right in front of him.  
The shockwave almost blew him off his bike, but he managed to remain on the seat and he let out a sheepish chuckle.  
_Oops_.

It was kind of a wakeup call though.  
After all, Dante only did what he'd promised and blowing his men to the seventh galaxy wasn't really a good way to thank him, that he knew.  
They needed to stay on his good side to protect the camp.  
_Charley's_ camp.  
And even though it cost him all his self-control -which he actually barely possessed-, only thinking about her stopped him from going after the trucks.  
Because truth be told, all he wanted right now was to make them pay for screwing up his masterplan.  
But he couldn't.  
He owed Charley that much.  
_Ah well.  
_At least the camp was safe again.  
_Whoopdidoo..._

Softly cursing under his breath, he turned his bike to drive back to the camp when suddenly a soft plop in the distance followed by a zooming sound caught his attention and he frowned in confusion, for he didn't recognize both sounds.  
But there was no time to figure it out because all of a sudden, he got hit by something heavy, so heavy that it knocked him off his bike.  
When he landed on the ground on his back, there was a weight pressing on his muscular chest and he reflexively lifted his hands to push it off of him.  
But his fingers got caught in a tangle of some kind of iron material and he soon realized what was happening.  
A net.  
Someone had caught him with a net.  
Like he was some kind of wild animal.  
_How disgraceful.  
_Not to mention bad.

He stopped moving for a moment and perked his ears, but silence was all he heard.  
_Hm.  
_Something was telling him that it wasn't his physical attraction that had brought him in this, if he may say so, _awkward _situation, but that damned bounty.  
So perhaps it was for the best if he wasn't lying helplessly on the ground when whoever had caught him would arrive.  
_Ya don't say.  
_Cursing his always overactive brain, Vinnie tried to lift the net.  
But it didn't move, not even when he used all his strength, which was a lot.  
Why it didn't move was a riddle to him, but now wasn't the time to rack his already overstimulated brain over this stupid but still important detail.  
Although he was far from religious, he thanked the Mothers of Mars for his tail, which now snaked to his right pocket to grab a flair.

Convinced that he was about to break free, a smile curled his lips when he lit the flair by scraping it over the asphalt.  
This mouse would _never_ be someone's prisoner.  
Nevermore.  
Not ever since that awful day in that horrible lab.  
He rather died.  
Not today though.  
And still smiling, he held the flair against the net, but to his utter shock, nothing happened.  
"What the…"  
After trying it again, his smile vanished like smoke in the wind and an ominous feeling washed over him.  
So far for not being a prisoner.  
As far as he could tell, the only reason why this didn't work was that the net was made of Plutarkian Steel.  
Or maybe Earth had the same indestructible materials, but that he highly doubted.

Well, whatever the reason, it was time for plan B and the young mouse whistled between his teeth.  
"Yo, bike! A little help here!"  
Silence was all that came in response.  
"Sweetheart?"  
Still nothing and for the first time since forever, he felt worried.  
Because even though he loved to stare death itself in the face, to taunt it, he didn't _actually_ want to die.  
Well, not like this.  
Like some helpless Martian Sheepy Sheep.  
This was _not _how heroes came to their end.  
They died in a blaze of glory, no exception.

Still, the fact that his bike didn't respond worried him more than his possible upcoming death.  
His bike, that was like his other half.  
Without her, he wasn't complete.  
And she usually was always there for him.  
So why not now?  
"I swear, if you've wrecked my bike, I'll hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands, even if it's the last thing I do!"  
It was a nice threat.  
If he wasn't pinned down to the ground, that is.  
_Gosh_.  
He really was in trouble now.  
And with the radio still shut down, he couldn't contact his bro's for help.  
Neither could his bike send them a stress signal.

So here it was.  
The so-called _'snake in the grass'_.  
The consequences of his actions, the ones he never thought of until they practically exploded in his face.  
_Great.  
__Just… great.  
_So far for being invincible.  
Throttle was never going to let him hear the end of this.  
If he was still alive to be yelled at, that is.  
He hoped he was, crazy enough.  
The soft sound of shrieking brakes broke him out of his thoughts and he glanced at his right.  
A silhouette sitting on a bike looked back at him.  
Well, that was what he assumed, but it was kind of hard to tell since the net stopped him from turning his head.  
This was highly uncomfortable, not to mention awkward.  
"I suppose it's no use me telling you that bondage ain't really my thing, huh?"  
The person didn't respond and Vinnie heaved a sigh.  
"I figured as much."  
_Yep_.  
Trouble.  
Major.

**_…_**

Throttle held up his hand and he and Modo came to a halt.  
"What is it, bro?", the grey-furred giant asked as he looked around him, but he soon saw why the tan-furred mouse had stopped and he took a sharp breath.  
"Oh, momma."  
Throttle didn't respond as his gaze wandered over the battlefield, his heart heavy.  
It wasn't like he hadn't seen this before because he did, but some things weren't meant to get entirely used to.  
This was one of those things.  
There was always a certain tension palpable in the deathly silence that came after battle.  
As if the souls of the ones who died were still there, staring at you with accusing eyes.  
Blaming you for being doomed to wander forever in the blackness between life and death.  
Never able to be free, forever and ever.  
If Throttle had to be honest, he preferred to be on the battlefield when the fight was still going.  
Because even though it was chaotic, turbulent and almost surreal, it was nothing compared to the sinister place it became after the last screams of those who were dying had slowly faded.

"You think Vinnie did this?", Modo broke the almost unbearable silence, disbelief clearly hearable in his heavy voice.  
Throttle got off his bike and kneeled next to one of the bodies.  
"Nah. This is too much, even for Vinnie", he answered as he studied the wounds of the unfortunate fellow at his feet.  
"Besides, these are bullet wounds. And based on the amount of it, I'd say these guys are killed by a machine gun. A heavy one."  
He looked up at Modo, who immediately connected the same dots as he did.  
"Dante", they said in unison.  
"At least he kept his word", the tan-furred leader sighed.  
"But where's Vinnie?", the grey-furred giant asked worriedly as he looked around him, his one eye searching for their youngest bro.  
"He can't be far", Throttle responded as he got back on his feet.  
"If he's still alive, you mean."  
"He is."  
"How do you know? He could well be dead for all we know, riddled with bullets like these guys."  
"I just do."

It wasn't even a lie.  
For some reason, Throttle just knew that their youngest bro was still in the land of the living.  
Deep down, he was more than aware of the fact that he might be in denial, for Modo was right.  
He could just as easily be dead.  
But the pain that followed by the thought alone was too much for him to bear.  
Especially now, now he was already plagued by this all-consuming guilt.  
So, yeah.  
Vinnie was still alive.  
All they had to do was find him and give him hell for being this irresponsible.  
_End of story._

After switching his visor to night vision, his bionic eyes scanned the surrounding.  
Not a single detail escaped his keen eye and suddenly, he saw movement on his right.  
"There. At four o'clock."  
Modo followed his gaze and he frowned in confusion.  
"What am I looking at?"  
Throttle mounted his bike again and the powerful machine immediately started its engine.  
"To a guy who's about to get his ass kicked."  
"Who, Vinnie or the other one?", Modo replied dryly.  
"Both. Let's ride."

As they made their way over to whatever was going on, Throttle tightened his grip around his handlebars.  
Even though he was beyond furious at Vinnie for many obvious reasons, it was still his bro.  
His family.  
And no matter their differences, he would _always _be his family.  
And when someone messed with his family, all bets were off.  
He knew the same applied for Modo, his now glowing eye being the biggest clue.  
But even without that detail, Throttle knew.  
No one messed with their bro, their _little _bro, without facing the consequences.

When they arrived at the scene, they both hit the brakes and stopped right in front of the person who had the nerve to catch their bro with a net.  
As his feet made contact with the ground, Throttle opened his visor.  
"Hey there. You have something that belongs to us..."  
"... and that makes us mad", Modo continued.  
"You wanna rumble?", Throttle asked sweetly, but with a face like thunder.  
"We're ready", the grey-furred giant finished as he cracked his knuckles.  
"_Ha_! The usual heroic entrance. I've taught you well", Vinnie snickered, mouthy as ever.  
As if he wasn't lying there, helplessly, waiting to be rescued by his two big brothers who were always there to clean up his mess and Modo rolled his eye.  
"You're not really in the position to take the credits here, Mister Smarty-Pants."  
"Hey, I got it _aaall_ under control. I was just taking a break."  
"Oh really?"

As the two kept bickering as usual, Throttle studied the mysterious person who still sat motionless on his bike.  
The tan-furred mouse had the feeling that he was staring back at him, but it was hard to tell, given the tinted visor of his black helmet.  
As his bionic eyes wandered over the black motor suit, the black biker boots and the black bike, Throttle concluded not only that black was this person's favorite color, but also that he was about Charley's size.  
Which in turn told him that they were dealing with another human here, given that humans were smaller than any other species he knew.  
Well, most importantly, smaller than Plutarkians.  
It wasn't that hard to figure out why this person had shown up though.  
_Money. _

Just when Throttle thought that the mysterious biker wasn't going to react to their threat, he suddenly aimed a strange-looking gun at the tan-furred mouse, who thanked his quick reflexes as he ducked right when another net came out with a plopping sound.  
The thing flew just inches over his head and almost hit Modo in the face, but the grey-furred giant quickly raised his bionic arm and knocked it away with a loud thump, his eye already glowing red again.  
"Well well. Guess he wants to rumble, Throttle."  
"Fine by me. I can use a little morning exercise."  
And they both opened fire at the biker in black, who quickly turned his bike to get out of the fireline.  
"Oh no, not so fast. We were just starting to get to know each other. It's just plain rude to walk away now", Modo grumbled as he started the pursuit, soon followed by his tan-furred bro.  
"Sure! You guys have all the fun while I'm just lying here, no problem!", Vinnie called after them, far from being amused and Modo looked over his shoulder with a grin on his face.  
"Enjoy your break!"  
This made the white-furred mouse even more cranky and he doubled his efforts to break free, determined to join his bro's in the fight but it was hopeless.  
And no matter how much Throttle and Modo would've loved to set him free, they suddenly had their hands full with escaping a deathly fate.

Because just when they were about to overtake the biker, he fired two missiles from the back of his bike, hereby forcing the two Martian male to change course.  
"Modo, look out!", Throttle yelled as he used his weight to make a sharp turn to the right, somehow flabbergasted by of this sudden move.  
Perhaps it was a bit naive, but until this moment he'd thought that they were the only ones on this weird planet who rode bikes equipped with an entire weapon system, for even on Mars with its advanced technology their bikes were quite rare.  
Clearly, he was wrong.  
Lesson learned; don't underestimate humans.  
For a moment, it looked like Modo was going to get caught in the explosion, but luckily, Throttle wasn't the only one with quick reflexes and his grey-furred bro also made a sharp turn, but to the left.

But even though he managed to stop himself from being blown to the seventh galaxy, he did lose his balance and with a loud crack, his bike landed on its left side and slid over the asphalt before it came to a halt.  
"Modo!", Throttle called out startled, his heart making a few backflips by seeing the nasty fall.  
He quickly looked around him, expecting the biker in black to take advantage of this situation, but much to his surprise, he was nowhere to be seen.  
Which was fine by Throttle, for now, and he sped over to Modo.  
Before his bike skidded to a halt, he already jumped off and kneeled next to his bro.  
"Modo, bro, are you okay?", he asked worriedly, but Modo already nodded as he pulled off his helmet, his eye still glowing red.  
"I'm fine. Just a bruised ego, that's all."  
"You and Vinnie both, so you can share the burden", Throttle smiled in relief and he offered his grey-furred bro a hand.

Modo took it and when he was back on his feet, he quickly put his bike back on its tires.  
When he took in the damage, his ears drooped as he let out a soft moan.  
"Oh little Darling, look at your paint…"  
Throttle followed his gaze and looked at the deep scratches at the left side of Little Hoss, knowing how painful this was for his bro.  
His bro, who took adoring his bike to the next level and he laid a hand on Modo's shoulder.  
"I'm sure Charley can help you fix this. If you're okay with her touching your bike, that is."  
"Yeah... ", Modo only sighed in return, still staring at his bike with a sad look on his face.  
"Hey! If you guys are done with your little tea party, I could use a little help over here!", Vinnie yelled at them, still struggling to get free.  
Modo and Throttle shared a look before heading over to their helpless bro.  
"I thought you had it all under control?", Modo asked sweetly, but Vinnie clearly didn't miss the sarcastic subtext.  
"Hardee har har! What are you, a fucking comedian? Get this thing off of me!"  
"Yeah, yeah, don't get your tail in a knot. I was already on my way", the grey-furred giant responded a bit annoyed too as he kneeled next to Vinnie and he grabbed the net with both hands.

It soon became clear why the young mouse couldn't lift the net by himself, because it was attached to metal pins that had clawed themselves in the asphalt.  
Lucky for Vinnie, Modo was strong enough to rip them loose and the young mouse jumped at his feet as soon as he was free again, almost exploding out of his fur.  
"Where is he?"  
"Gone", Throttle simply answered, but when he saw Vinnie's bewildered look, he heaved a sigh.  
"And no, we're not going after him."  
"We're not?"  
"No. I get the feeling we will meet him again, probably sooner than later."  
"But…"  
"I said no."  
"Ah man…", Vinnie sighed in defeat, but then glanced at his bro and leader with a bit nervous look on his face, as if he realized just now that Throttle was really here.  
_Good._  
He should be nervous.

The young mouse cleared his throat.  
"So uh… how did you know I was here?"  
"The usual. Followed the trail of dead bodies."  
"Hey, I didn't do this, if that's what you're trying to say. It was Dante's men, I even tried to stop them, but…"  
Throttle held up his hand to stop his babbling.  
"Hold up, adrenaline mouse. First things first. Are you okay?"  
Vinnie slowly closed his mouth as he gave Throttle a suspicious look, but he then nodded.  
"Yeah… I'm fine."  
Throttle nodded as well.  
"Good."

He then took a deep breath and his tail lashed through the air when he let in his anger, the one he'd kept on a distance until he was sure that they were all safe again.  
"Honestly, Vincent, what were you thinking? You really outdid yourself this time and I _don't _mean that as a compliment."  
Vinnie's eyes grew big in indignation, as if this came completely out of the blue.  
He could be so ignorant sometimes.  
Or it was just for the show, which was more likely to be the case.  
Mister Innocence, who supposedly never did something wrong, but the tan-furred leader knew better than to buy this act.  
"Hey, I already told ya, I didn't do this, it was…"  
"Like I said; we followed your trail", Throttle interrupted him with a low voice, not wanting to hear his excuses.  
"The guards told us what happened. Or are you gonna tell me that wasn't you either?"  
The young mouse fell silent again as he swallowed with difficulty, pulling his bandana.  
"Oh that... That uh… yeah, about that…", he stuttered a bit nervously and he stared at his feet.  
"Maybe I got a bit carried away... "  
_Talk about an understatement.  
_"Maybe?"  
"Well, I uh… hehe… I guess I did."  
Throttle knew that admitting this was kind of Vinnie's way of saying he was sorry, so maybe he should leave it here, for he knew this was all he would get.  
But he somehow couldn't stop.  
Not after today.  
"Do you ever stop to consider the consequences of your actions? Your little game tonight could've cost about a hundred innocent lives, Vincent."  
"Yeah, well, but it didn't, did it?", the young mouse suddenly spat out and Throttle narrowed his eyes behind his glasses because of this sudden outburst.  
"Excuse me?"

The tone in his voice should've been the only warning he needed to give, but of course, the white-furred mouse ignored the sign.  
"You heard me. Look, maybe I got carried away, but that doesn't change the fact that these people are still sleeping peacefully in their tents instead of in a box in the ground. They're _fine,_ Throttle! Thanks to _me_! Why are you always giving me hell for doing something good?!"  
"Because I don't approve your M.O.! You take risks that not only endangers your life, but also those of others! You never think! When are you gonna learn that this isn't a game, but real life, huh?"  
Yeah, he really needed to stop.  
He'd made his point, he saw it in Vinnie's eyes.  
Even though the young mouse would never say it out loud, he _definitely_ got the message.

But truth be told, Throttle wasn't exactly in control of his emotions right now.  
Everything just kept piling up and he was about to reach his limits.  
He had never been this close to his breaking point and it scared him more than he liked to admit.  
So, the words just kept coming, forcing their way out and there was nothing he could do to stop it.  
"Or does it take another tragedy to make you realize how fast things can spin out of control?"  
"I think he gets the point, bro", Modo now interfered, probably knowing what was next.  
If Throttle had to guess, the grey-furred giant wanted to protect not only Vinnie by stopping him, right here, right now.  
With good reason.  
He should stop.  
He was going to hate himself if he wouldn't.  
He knew, and yet, the words came out anyway.  
"Or was Harley's death not enough?"

An almost deafening silence descended on them as Throttle looked at Vinnie, breathing heavily because of his outburst and his guilt grew even bigger -as far as that goes- when he saw his young bro's pain, caused by his words.  
These harsh words.  
Unfair words, too.  
He was blaming Vinnie for something only the war was to blame for.  
More to the point, the Plutarkians.  
They were the ones who fired that missile on that day that had changed them forever, after all.  
Not Vinnie.  
He _did_ suddenly understand how it was like to be Vinnie.  
To just blurt things out without a filter.  
Still, it was far from the same.  
Unlike Vinnie, this wasn't who he was.  
He simply didn't have that excuse.  
Therefore, his words outweighed Vinnie's.  
And he could see how they cut through the white-furred mouse's soul.

"Vinnie, I'm sorry, I…", but he trailed off when he saw how Vinnie wrinkled his nose, how his left ear twitched and he knew what was next.  
But instead of stopping his white-furred bro, Throttle only braced himself, for he was truly convinced that he had it coming.  
Big time.  
And indeed, the young mouse clenched his fist, but when he lashed out, a metal hand wrapped around the white-furred fist right before impact.  
"Don't."  
"But Modo…"  
"Shut up", the grey-furred giant snapped at him and after letting his young bro go, he lined himself up between his two best friends.  
"This has gone far enough and it's gonna stop, right here, right now. Because this, and I can't believe I need to explain this to you, _again_, but this is _exactly _what's gonna get us _all _killed. We know we do our best work as we work as a team and like you said...-", he pointed at Throttle before he continued.  
"-...this ain't no game. So you _both_ need to put your differences aside and _work together _instead of _fighting _each other."

Throttle was somehow grateful that he left Charley out of this, because he now realized this was about her.  
_Again.  
_Him being this angry was just another weak attempt to protect Charley from being hurt by the white-furred mouse, to get a grip on this almost uncontrollable situation and Vinnie disobeying him was probably just because he hated it when someone tried to control him.  
After all, history had shown that the young mouse didn't like people telling him what to do.  
It had the opposite effect, it always had.  
Throttle knew, and yet, he was still hell-bent on getting through to him.  
That was all he wanted, after all.  
To let him realize that life wasn't a game.  
To tell him that he needed to grow up.  
That he could actually _hurt _people by being this reckless.  
_People like Charley, for instance. _

Why he was still being this devoted to protect the human female was a mystery to him and frankly, it started to annoy him.  
After all, he'd made his choice.  
Either way, Modo was right.  
This had to stop.  
It was crazy.  
Beyond crazy.  
They were family.  
Fights were part of the deal, true, but fighting over a woman?  
That was just lower than low.  
What was that phrase again?  
_Bro's before ho's?  
_Tasteless, but true.

So, when Vinnie opened his mouth again -probably to protest-, Throttle beat him to it because he suddenly wanted to fix this, so badly.  
He was done risking his relationship with Vinnie for a woman who would never be his in the first place.  
And even if she would be, it wasn't worth it.  
No woman was worth it.  
_Family first.  
__Always.  
_He knew that Vinnie would never take the first step to fix this mess, simply because the young mouse was too messed up to do so.  
So, he did.  
He was a leader, after all.  
One where people could rely on.  
Time to live it up, once again.  
"He's right. This never should've come this far. I'm sorry for what I said and for what it's worth, I didn't mean it."

"_Has it ever occurred to you that he's doing these things to make you proud?"_

Modo's words echoed through his head and he suddenly realized that the big fella could be right about that too.  
_Hm.  
_There seemed to be only one way to fix this and it wasn't with an apology.  
No, this needed a little bit more than just that.  
Luckily, he _did_ know how to be vulnerable.  
Now even more than ever for he was almost desperate to repair the cracked bond with his youngest bro.  
So, he took a deep breath and looked Vinnie straight in his two-colored eyes.  
"You did a good job tonight, Vincent. I'm proud of you."

For a moment, Vinnie just stared at him, his mouth wide open in shock, thereby confirming Throttle's theory that he, indeed, hadn't said this enough.  
Although he still didn't approve this risky manner of working, he meant every word.  
After all, the people of the camp were, indeed, safe.  
And it actually felt good to say it out loud.  
It made him feel a bit less guilty.  
As if he could breathe again, even if it were only small breathes.  
It was enough for now.  
And who knew?  
Perhaps a positive approach was all that was needed to get through to the young mouse.  
_A mouse is never too old to try something new. _

"Look who's all speechless", Modo chuckled to break the uncomfortable silence and despite everything, Throttle felt the corners of his mouth curl up into a smile too.  
"Never thought I'd see the day, hehe."  
The fact that the white-furred mouse couldn't find the words after this huge compliment was enough for Throttle to know that for now, things were okay again.  
"I'm not speechless, I just forgot what I wanted to say. That's different, ya know", Vinnie eventually opened his mouth again in an attempt to save what was left of his already bruised ego and the two other male mice shared a meaningful but amused look.  
"Sure thing, bro."  
"If you say so."

Vinnie only shrugged and quickly changed the subject.  
"So, time for breakfast?", he asked with a hopeful glance on his face.  
"Yeah, about that…", Throttle started, hating to be the one again who had to disappoint the young mouse.  
"We can't go back to the camp."  
"What? But I'm starving!", the white-furred mouse protested, as usual only thinking about himself for a moment.  
"I bet you are, but it's too dangerous. Tonight is the proof of that. I told Charley to pack her things and as soon as she's ready, we're off to California."  
If she was still coming, that is…  
She was.  
She had to.  
_Why though?  
_Why did he care so much?  
He'd made his choice, right?  
_Right?!_

"No, no, no, we can't leave! I left my weapons at the garage, no way I'm leaving them behind!"  
_This boy and his weapons...  
_"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Vincent. We won't set a foot in Camp Hope as long as we have that bounty on our head. And before you start, this is non-negotiable."  
For the second time this night, Vinnie just stared at him with his mouth wide open, disbelief written on his young face, as if Throttle just told him to go up in flames or whatever was going on in his complicated head.  
But then, without any warning, he dropped cross-legged on the floor with folded arms and put his chin in the air.  
Throttle ran a hand through his hair as he gave Modo a dubious look -who only shrugged in return- before his gaze landed back on his stubborn young bro.  
"What are you doing?"  
"I'm protesting."  
"You're protesting", the tan-furred mouse repeated tonelessly before he raised his eyes to heaven.  
"Great. Just what we needed. A mouse on strike."  
_Man_.  
This was going to be a very, _very_ long day…


	23. Chapter 23

Hey you guys...

Thanks for the reviews, so happy to see that you liked it.  
SpaceFlora; I'm deeply humbled by your kind words, again.  
But please, don't let my writing affecting yours, that would be such a shame.  
You rock and don't you forget about that! :)

Aaaaaaaaaanyway, on with the story.  
I'm kind of excited to share this chapter with you, especially the last part._ *wiggles eyebrows*  
_Feel free to let me know what you think of these... developments, hehe, but of course, no pressure.

Thanks again for supporting me and till next time, dudes!  
Later!

* * *

**Chapter 23**

"Come on, Vin, up and at 'em. You made your point, now it's time to go", Throttle tried to motivate the young white-furred mouse, but without any result.  
"N to the O to the PE. I ain't going nowhere without my weapons."  
The tan-furred mouse clenched his fists, trying very hard to not to lose his patience.  
With Vinnie being in this mood, patience was the only thing that could make a difference here, after all.  
But it was hard.  
"Look, I already told you _why_ we can't go back, isn't that enough to just, I dunno, suck it up?"  
"Yeah, little bro, I mean, ain't that what heroes do? Keeping everyone safe in spite of themselves?", Modo joined him in the fight to get their stubborn bro back on his feet.

It was a good attempt, Throttle had to give him that.  
After all, stroking Vinnie's ego usually did the trick.  
Just not today.  
"Nice try, dude. But imagine a world where everyone would just leave their children behind without blinking because it might be dangerous to go get them. Would you do that?"  
"_What?!_ Come on, Vin, that's hardly the same…"  
"Would you?!", Vinnie repeated compellingly, cutting him off.  
"Well, no, I guess not, but…"  
"Of course you wouldn't! So why expecting me to leave my weapons behind, huh? Gosh, you can be so slow on the uptake sometimes, Modo."

Looking at the scene, Throttle suddenly felt an almost hysterical fit of laughter bubbling up, simply because this whole thing was more than ridiculous.  
And very typical.  
He managed to keep it inside though.  
Things were already tiring enough without him getting the giggles.  
As he swallowed it away, his gaze landed on Vinnie's bike, which hadn't moved ever since he and Modo arrived at the scene, he now realized.  
That was weird, because the bike was usually just as hyper as its owner.  
"Say, Vincent? Is your bike on strike too?"  
Vinnie put his chin in the air again.  
"Of course she is, wherever I go, she goes…", he started high and mighty, but then his eyes grew big and he jumped at his feet as if he got stung by a Martian Bee Bee.  
"My bike! Gosh, how could I forget?"  
"My my, if I had known it could be this simple...", the tan-furred mouse muttered under his breath as his bionic eyes followed the young mouse who stumbled to his beloved wheels.

When he reached it, he fell on his knees and spread his arms in -if Throttle had to guess- an attempt to hug it, which was _-of course-_ an impossible task.  
Vinnie seemed to realize that too, because when it didn't work out the way he wanted, he just laid his head on her side and gently stroked the cherry-red paint.  
"I'm sorry, baby, I'm the worst dad ever, please forgive me…", he babbled and Modo and Throttle shared another puzzled look before looking back at their youngest bro who was still chattering to his bike.  
"Is he high?", Modo asked out of the corner of his mouth.  
"I dunno, maybe he's having a seizure or something…"  
"He's calling himself _'dad'_. Now_ that's _just downright scary."  
"You said it, big fella. Maybe all the adrenaline is affecting his brain…"  
"What brain?"  
"Excellent point."

The two male mice observed their youngest bro for a little while, but Vinnie had eyes for only his bike.  
"Okay, I'll bite. _Again. _What the hell are you doing?", Throttle eventually asked a bit tiredly, scratching the back of his head.  
Vinnie's head jerked up and he gave his bro a look that practically screamed; _'Isn't that obvious?'  
_"Are you serious? Look at her!"  
"I am, but it isn't like she has a speech bubble hanging above her. So I'm asking you. What is going on?"  
"She's… I dunno, she's just gone…"  
The white-furred mouse then looked up at his two bro's with his eyes wide open and drooping ears, sheer panic readable in his two-colored eyes.  
"You don't think she's dead, do you? What if she's dead?!", he wailed dramatically and Throttle rolled his eyes, he just couldn't stop himself.  
Of course, he fully understood how important the bike was to Vinnie, for his own bike meant the world to him too.  
But this was just downright excessive.  
Well, it was very Vinnie, too.  
"Bikes don't just die, Vincent, not even ours. It's a bike."

Vinnie almost banged with his head against the windshield of his bike in shock when he heard these words and he gave his bro and leader the evil stare.  
"_Sssshhh! _She can hear ya! It's okay, baby, uncle Throttle didn't mean that… You're so much more than a bike to me."  
_By the gods...  
_This day was getting more and more exhausting by the minute, and that while the sun hadn't even come up yet.  
"Ahem… what I'm trying to say is; there's probably a perfectly logical explanation for all this and the beauty of her being a bike is that once we find the problem, we can _fix _it. Just like that. Now, isn't that just beautiful?", Throttle explained himself as if he was talking to an upset toddler who had dropped his ice cream in the sand instead of a fully grown, by a war-hardened soldier.  
Sometimes, the differences were hard to find though.  
_Very _hard.  
"Maybe Charley ma'am is able to fix it, little bro. I'm sure your bike will be okay", Modo added.

Hearing her name made Throttle realize that he still hadn't heard anything from the human female, a fact that concerned him more than he liked to admit.  
What if she really decided to stay here?  
Would he be able to leave her behind?  
Even though he'd made his choice, he wasn't sure if he could.  
But luckily, it didn't come that far, because his sensitive ears picked up the purring sound of her bike, a sound he had learned to recognize during their last little trip.  
And indeed, after a few seconds, she stopped her bike next to Modo and pulled off her helmet.  
It was just a simple act, but she managed to make it breathtakingly beautiful.  
The way she shook her hair, her shiny auburn-colored hair, out of her face…  
_...her gorgeous face..._

So here he was.  
Staring at her like he was seeing her for the first time again, as if he hadn't turned her down just an hour ago.  
But she was so… _special_.  
How was he able to ignore how special she was, despite his choice?  
Her scent filled his nostrils, almost caressed them and he closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the relaxing effect she always seemed to have on him.  
When he opened them again, he saw that she was ready and zipped and sheer relief washed over him when he realized that could only mean one thing.  
She was still coming.

Despite everything, he was delighted that she was.  
Even though she was clearly avoiding his look.  
But that he couldn't blame her.  
He'd played with her feelings, after all.  
Unintentionally, yes, but still.  
She had every right _and _every reason to take some distance.  
He'd practically told her to do so.  
It still hurt though.  
Even if he tried so hard to deny it, it still hurt.  
Yeah, well…  
He'd made his choice.  
And now he needed to live with the consequences.  
_Nothing new. _

Either way, Throttle wasn't the only one who was relieved to see the human mechanic.  
"Sweetheart! Sweetheart, my bike is dying or something, she needs your help, right now!", Vinnie almost yelled at her, clearly, his beloved reputation forgotten for now.  
"Typical. I leave you guys alone for what, five seconds? -and look what happens. Bikes are already dying", Charley responded dryly as she dismounted her bike.  
"Honestly, it's a good thing that me and my tools have decided to come with you."  
After walking over to the cherry-red racer and a very upset white-furred mouse, she kneeled next to both.  
"Now, what happened?"  
"I dunno… She just stopped responding."  
"Hm…"

After studying the bike for a little while, her face suddenly lit up and she reached out.  
With a plopping sound, she removed a small black device close to the left handlebar and held it up.  
"Here's the little troublemaker."  
"What is it?", Modo asked curiously.  
"It's a signal blocker. It literally blocks the signal from the AI chip and wham, the bike is just a normal bike all of a sudden", Charley explained as she rose back on her feet.  
As if on cue, Vinnie's bike started its engine with a flashing headlight and the human female smiled.  
"See? She's fine."

Vinnie stared at the small device for a moment and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks that was, thanks to the white fur, not that hard to miss.  
Clearly, he finally realized that his behavior had been beyond extreme, especially now the solution to his problem seemed to be this easy.  
In fact, it was so easy, that he simply could've fixed it himself if he hadn't been so busy flipping out.  
"I uh… I totally knew that, hehe", he stammered, pulling his bandana.  
"Oh really, huh? You just what, forgot to mention it?", Charley snorted in response and the white-furred mouse shrugged before putting his bike back on its tires.  
"Something like that."  
But then, he glanced at the human female from under his lashes as one corner of his mouth curled up.  
"But thanks, doll. You're the best."

It was crazy, how the young mouse managed to make such a simple sentence sound this flirty.  
Full with implied promises.  
Perhaps it was the mischievous glance in his two-colored eyes.  
Or the slightly raw tone of his voice.  
Or that arrogant trademark smile of his.  
Throttle wasn't sure, but even he didn't miss it and it made him sick to the stomach.  
But what could he do?  
Nothing.  
Not anymore.  
It wasn't his place anymore.  
And he needed to stop worrying about all this.  
Carbine was all he needed to worry about.  
She was the one in trouble, she was the one who needed him, after all.  
And she was the one who _he _needed.  
Right?  
_Right_.

Still, he couldn't stop himself from keeping a close eye on Charley, to see how she was going to react, but all she did was winking at the young mouse before focussing her attention back on the black device in her hand.  
"You know, this means that the one who caught you was prepared. As in; _very_ _good_ prepared."  
Throttle realized she was right and gave himself an inner scolding that it wasn't him who came up with this suggestion.  
He was a bit too distracted for his own taste, a thing that could cost lives in times like these.  
He really needed to focus on what was important and that was _everyone's_ safety.  
Which was now at stake because apparently, the mysterious biker was aware of the fact that their bikes were powered by Artificial intelligence, which was bad news on itself, because if he knew this, what else did he find out about them?

But before he, or Modo for that matter, could respond, Vinnie decided that this was the time to restore his ego in the most impossible way.  
"Hey, who said someone _actually_ caught me? This mouse is too slick to catch, babe. I'm like a ninja", he bragged as he flexed his muscles, but Charley just held up the device with one hand as she pointed at the net close to her feet with the other one and Vinnie immediately deflated like a balloon when he heaved a sigh in defeat.  
"Okay, okay, there _might_ be a possibility that there _perhaps_ was someone who _might_ have slowed me down for just a _teeny-tiny_ moment…"

As he was trying to save what was left to be saved, Modo reached down and grabbed the net. After studying it for a while, he looked at Throttle.  
"This is Plutarkian Fiber Steel. Charley ma'am here is right. This person came prepared."  
Throttle rubbed his chin in response, a bit confused by this fact.  
"A human who works for the Plutarkians?"  
"Why not? It wouldn't be the first time", Modo told him, and the tan-furred leader knew he was referring to the Martian Mountain Rats, who had chosen the wrong side shortly after the war broke loose on Mars.  
The grey-furred giant despised them for it, and with good reason.  
It was betrayal in its purest and ugliest form.  
"And you're sure it was a human?", Charley asked puzzled with a frown.  
"Positive."

"Well, whoever it was, the next time I see him I'll show him the true meaning of payback, big time", Vinnie grumbled as he cracked his knuckles with a determined look on his young face.  
"I mean, look what he did to my ride! Not to mention my pride… Hey! I made a rhyme!"  
"What makes you think it's a man?", Charley interrupted his glorious moment and, as if by miracle, the white-furred mouse fell silent as he stared at her, his two-colored eyes as big as saucers.  
Throttle and Modo gave Charley a look too, not entirely sure if she was suggesting what they thought she was suggesting.  
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? All I'm saying is that it could just as easily be a woman."

Okay.  
This was painful, even for the two males whose ego wasn't as big as Mars.  
The human just suggested that they were taken down by a woman.  
As much as he hated it to admit, even Throttle felt a bit insulted by this.  
Perhaps she was joking.  
She had to be, right?  
He looked at his bro's, who looked back and Vinnie was the first one to burst into laughter.  
And since his laugh was more than contagious, next to the fact that this suggestion was beyond ridiculous, Throttle and Modo soon joined him.  
"Ha, right!"  
"Good one, Charley ma'am."  
"Love your sense of humor, babe."

The human female rolled her eyes, clearly not as amused as they were.  
Come to think of it, she didn't seem to like inhaling too much testosterone, a thing Throttle had noticed before.  
He guessed that no one actually could blame her.  
But it was just a guess.  
"Who'd have thought that sexism is a problem on Mars too? Too bad the world isn't here to witness this extraordinary discovery. The crowd would've gone wild."  
Throttle was the first one to recover, for he felt a bit guilty when he saw her annoyance.  
"Sorry, babe, it's not that we don't appreciate women, because we do…"  
"_Obviously_", Vinnie interrupted as he wiggled his eyebrows and Throttle heaved a sigh before continuing.  
"But no woman has ever succeeded in taking us down, not even on Mars. It's just hard to believe it would be any different here."  
"We meant no disrespect, Charley ma'am", Modo added, chivalrous as he was.  
Charley held up her hands.  
"Fine. I just hope I'm there if it turns out that you're wrong. God, I'd really like to see your faces when that happens. Maybe I'll even record it."

After a short silence, Modo cleared his throat.  
"Maybe this ain't the right time, but I was wondering if uh… if you could take a look at my bike, too? She's got some serious scratches and I… well, I uh… I was kind of hoping that you might be able to fix it?"  
Throttle looked down to hide his smile when he saw the poor guy's bumbling, knowing this was Modo to the core.  
Always a bit shy when it came to women, always had been.  
Not that surprising, after being raised by his beloved grey-furred momma, who had taken _'being feisty'_ to a whole other level.  
She could be downright scary too but at the same time, she was the most loving person Throttle had ever met.  
Growing up, he'd spend a lot of time at the Maverick household and it was Modo's mom in particular who had made him feel at home at all times.  
Kind of like having a second family and the tan-furred mouse would be forever grateful.

Still, he could understand why Modo was always a bit… _cautious_ when it came to the ladies, always on high alert if they might explode.  
Loving or not, his mother hadn't been the best example to him on that front.  
Which was a shame, actually.  
Because despite his size, he was very good at being invisible and no girl ever really saw him.  
No girl, except for Niva.  
The slender-built silver-furred female had been able to see right through him and had thereby sealed their fate.  
If she hadn't gone missing, they'd probably still be together.  
Next to shy, Modo was a loyal mouse.  
He'd chosen his partner with care and his heart would belong to her for the rest of his life.  
Not even death itself could change that.  
Throttle kind of admired him for that.  
For his ability to give true love, always and forever.  
It was sad at the same time, because he probably would spend the rest of his life alone now, for the chances of Niva's safe return were reduced to almost zero.

Either way, it was mind-blowing to say the least that the grey-furred giant asked Charley to take a look at his bike.  
His bike, that was like his whole world, since Niva was the one who gave it to him, only a few months before she disappeared.  
It was all he had left of her.  
All he had left to give his unconditional love to.  
He must really trust the human female, which was good.  
Trust was needed when one fought a war together.  
Without trust, there was nothing.  
Only death.  
And Throttle could only hope that Charley was still trusting him after what he did to her.  
Time would tell, and time alone.

Charley seemed to be a bit surprised by this question as well, probably because she remembered Modo's first reaction that day when she showed them the garage.  
He'd been evasive, and not just a little.  
But she quickly recovered herself and bend over Little Hoss.  
Modo stood next to her, clearly nervous as hell.  
The bond he had with his bike wasn't one-sided and usually, when someone beside him -or his bro's- only _thought_ so much about touching it, it was either him or his bike who wouldn't hesitate to blow their brains out.  
But the bike let Charley touch it without making a single sound, which was highly unusual.  
It seemed to be another sign that this human being was to be trusted.

"I can fix it, but not here", she started, wiping off her hands on her pants as she got back upright and for the first time since she joined them here, she looked Throttle straight in the eye.  
"I need to take her back to the garage."  
Enjoying this small moment of seeing her beautiful green eyes looking back at him, Throttle ran a hand through his hair as he processed her words.  
Back to the garage meant back to the camp.  
And they all knew what that meant in turn.  
But he couldn't tell Modo that he just needed to suck it up, unlike some others.  
This was too important for him.  
So, the tan-furred mouse nodded.  
"Okay. If that's what it takes…"  
"Yes! Hotdogs and rootbeer!", Vinnie immediately cheered as he made a jump in excitement, not thinking about anything else but himself.  
_As usual. _

But Modo did, because he firmly shook his head.  
"No. No, I don't wanna put those people in danger because of my bike. It's just a few scratches. She'll be fine, right Lil' Darling?"  
The impressive machine beeped back in return as she flashed her headlight.  
"Are you sure?", Throttle asked his older bro, somehow feeling the need to clarify that he would never pass him over or something like that.  
This was a very touchy subject for his older bro and he wanted him to know that he understood, because he did.  
But Modo gave him a warm smile, hereby telling his leader that he knew.  
"Yeah, I'm sure. There are children in there. I would never forgive myself if something happens to them because of me."  
"Ah, man… Does this mean _no_ hotdogs and rootbeer?", Vinnie interfered and, as if on cue, everyone heaved a sigh.  
Of course, the white-furred mouse was unaware of any wrongdoing and he looked around the group a bit puzzled.  
"What? Something I said?"

As Modo took the white-furred mouse in a headlock, Throttle glanced at Charley, who was standing with her back towards him.  
"Are you ready to go?"  
After a short silence, she turned around.  
"I'm ready. Everything is taken care of."  
Throttle noticed that she was, again, avoiding his look and he suddenly felt the urge to apologize to her for everything he'd done.  
Perhaps even for his entire existence.  
"Look, Charley, I'm sorry if I hurt you, it wasn't my intention…", he started, but immediately trialed off again when he saw the look on her face,  
It came close to… _amusement_?  
_Why though?  
_As far as he's concerned, there was nothing funny about all of this.  
Not at all.  
"I love it how much credits you're giving yourself here", she snorted as she mounted her bike again, but before she could put on her helmet, Throttle laid a hand on her arm to stop her.  
"What does that even mean?"

After looking at his hand for a little while, Charley looked up at him.  
Her eyes were cold, colder than he'd ever seen before.  
It gave him the chills, actually.  
"You think I'm sad because of you, but you couldn't be more wrong. It is leaving my people behind that hurts, even though I know it's the right thing to do right now."  
Her voice was just as cold as her eyes and Throttle pulled back his hand, knowing he needed to give her some space.  
That was the least he could do.  
Because even if her words said he didn't hurt her, her eyes told quite a different story.  
She just didn't seem to want to admit it, a thing he needed to respect.  
He couldn't force her to talk about things when she wasn't ready yet.  
If she would ever be ready, that is.  
"You can still change your mind. No one would blame you for it", he said softly.  
"No. This isn't about us. It's bigger than that. You were right, there are so many people out there who need help, at least, I hope there are. It feels wrong to let them down. So I'm coming."  
And before he could react, she put on her helmet.  
"I'm ready if you guys are."

Knowing there was nothing he could say or do to stop her from hating him right now, Throttle trudged back to his bike as he whistled between his teeth to get his bro's attention, who were currently caught up in an old school Martian Wrestle session.  
"Wrap it up, boys. It's time for us to rock and _ride _into the miraculous world of the human being."  
"Ooh, I kinda like the sound of that", Modo smiled as he let Vinnie go, who now dropped on the floor with a loud thump.  
"Modo!"  
"Whoops, sorry little bro."  
"You didn't mean that."  
"You're right, I didn't."  
"Man… What did I do to deserve this?"  
"That's easy. You were born."  
"Ouch, now that hurts, man. My day of birth is the best day in history and you know it."  
Throttle shook his head with a smile as he listened to their bickering, grateful that at least some things would never change, not even while being on a different planet.  
It was strangely comforting to have something that familiar around you when everything else was falling apart.

When his bro's were all ready to go, the tan-furred mouse revved his bike.  
"So, now you two are done with playing the married couple…"  
"_Married_?!", Vinnie protested insulted, but Throttle ignored him as he popped a wheelie.  
"...it's time to rock…"  
But again, Vinnie came in between.  
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, _WAIT_!"  
"Now what?", the tan-furred leader sighed as his bike landed back on its front wheel again.  
"My weapons! I told ya, I won't leave without them!"  
"Great moons of Mars, you're obsessed", Modo groaned as he leaned over his handlebars and rested his head in his metal hand.  
"I'm starting to feel a little bit annoyed here, Vincent…"  
But before anyone else could say another word, Charley threw a backpack in the middle of the group.  
"You mean these weapons?"

Vinnie stared at the backpack for a moment, but then a big grin appeared on his face and he jumped off his bike to pick it up.  
As he wrapped his arms around his precious weapons, he gave Charley a grateful look.  
"You truly are a lifesaver today, huh, sweetheart? I _like _it. Yeah, I like it a _lot…_"  
"I figured you might be needing them", she replied with a small smile around her lips and a slightly flirty undertone in her voice.  
Throttle stared at the two for a moment, not liking what he saw.  
Something was different between them, but he couldn't put his furry finger on it.  
Modo cleared his throat a bit uncomfortable, telling Throttle he wasn't seeing ghosts.  
There was this certain tension palpable between these two, one he could hardly bear, so he quickly broke the loaded silence, even if it made him feel beyond hypocrite.  
"Well, now this happy family has _finally_ reunited again, let's rock…"

As soon as he started talking, Vinnie broke eye contact with Charley, but still with that arrogant crooked smile of his chiseled on his face and jumped on his bike, but this time it was Modo who stopped them from leaving, simply by staring at the scratches on his bike, clearly deep in thought.  
Throttle raised his eyes to heaven as he repeated himself a bit louder this time.  
"Let's _rock…"  
_Still no response and now it was Vinnie who lost his patience.  
"_MODO_!"  
The grey-furred giant looked up with a jerk and soon realized what was happening.  
"I'm sorry, my bad. Let's ride…"  
"..and rock?", the tan-furred leader asked tiredly as he squeezed the bridge of his nose.  
"Ya know, we really need to plan our exits better. But this one is ruined anyway, so let's just go, okay?", Vinnie sighed and hit the accelerator, soon followed by his bro's and Charley.  
And with that, their road trip to California began.

_**…**_

They drove through the wrecked landscape of America the whole day, but surprisingly enough, they didn't run into trouble.  
Which was highly unusual, because they seemed to be a magnet for everything that looks like trouble.  
But for once, things were quiet, almost peaceful.  
It would've been really peaceful if Vinnie didn't keep whining about being bored, or asking almost every five minutes if they were there yet.  
_Ah well.  
_A mouse couldn't have it all.

Throttle used the quietness to call Carbine again, just to tell her that they were on their way and to ask how things were going over there.  
It was kind of a laborious conversation, simply because she was back to her old cold self, her despair from the other day nowhere to be found.  
Although he didn't like this side of her, he still preferred it to despair.  
That conversation had broken his heart.  
This one only annoyed him a bit, but it softened the pressing guilt at the same time.  
And at least he knew what he wanted to know, which was that Stoker was still alive and that the rest was still safe for now.  
That was all that mattered for now.  
When the sun had set, Throttle decided it was time to find a place to spend the night and shortly thereafter, they came across a small town and after a quick exploration, it turned out to be deserted.  
Eventually, they settled down on the second-highest floor of one of the buildings and after a quick meal, they all went to sleep, tired and stiff from the long ride.

Well, except for a certain white-furred mouse, who _-again- _couldn't sleep, much to his annoyance.  
It wasn't that he wasn't tired, because he was.  
Especially after the whole day driving through a wrecked landscape.  
Still, seeing the damage that the Plutarkians had done to this planet stirred enough memories to give him over more than a hundred sleepless nights and yet, it wasn't the reason why he was still wide awake.  
Nor was it his roaring stomach.  
Gosh, he wished it was.  
That would be so much easier.  
But it wasn't.  
No, it was a certain human female who got the credits.  
That had actually more than one reason.

At first, something seemed to be different about her today.  
More to the point, she seemed to be different around _him_.  
The so-called casual touches, the comments with a dual message...  
Heck, if he didn't know any better, he would've sworn that she was actually_ flirting_ with him.  
Which, of course, was completely understandable.  
Not many women were immune to his trademark charm.

But even though it didn't really surprise him that she seemed to be interested in him, her change in behavior _did_ come from an unexpected quarter, for he had seen the way she looked at Throttle.  
Even if some would claim otherwise, he wasn't stupid.  
She liked him.  
But something must have happened between them that had caused this sudden turn of events, and he was for about 99% sure that _something_ was actually Carbine.

But truth be told, he couldn't care less about the reason for her sudden change, which was weird because he was very much aware of the fact that he was either second choice or a rebound, a thing his ego usually couldn't bear.  
He wasn't entirely sure _why_ he didn't care though.  
All he knew was that every bit of attention fed this unexplainable desire he felt each time she was near to him.  
And she had been close to him, alright.  
The second and most important reason why he couldn't sleep.

Unfortunately, the building that Throttle had chosen used to be some kind of office -at least, that's what Charley thought- and apparently, offices didn't have beds, much to Vinnie's shock.  
_Humans were weird.  
_Luckily, Charley had brought some blankets so they didn't have to lie on the cold floor, but they were hardly sufficient.  
So was the small supply of food and water she'd taken with her.  
It was because of the hurry with which they had to leave, she'd explained to them.  
But Throttle had reassured her that it was enough for now and that they probably would find something to eat on the way.  
Yeah, right.  
_As if.  
_This place was like a fucking ghost town and Vinnie had a hard time believing that it would be any different further along the way.

Either way, all this had nothing to do with why he couldn't sleep, for all this was just the war on Mars all over again and therefore, he was used to it.  
No, it was because Charley had settled down close to him when they were preparing themselves for the night.  
Now, that fact alone would be enough to keep him awake, but then there was her smell.  
Her lovely smell that now covered him like a thick blanket and only grew stronger by every minute she was in the same room as him.  
And surprise, surprise, it fired that awful burning desire, that had been dormant in the background, like a missile again.

So here he was, lying on only a blanket on a cold floor, staring at the ceiling with a smoldering body.  
Yearning for the woman who lay only a few feet away from him.  
He turned his head and glanced at the source of his unease, seeing that she was lying with her back towards him.  
Judging by her slow breathing and calm heartbeat, she was out like a light.  
Which was probably a good thing.  
The chances of him jumping on her were a lot smaller when she was peacefully asleep, after all.  
Gosh, the thought alone.  
That would be so awkward.  
_Hehe_.  
Totally.

As he still stared at her back with teeth clenched and every muscle in his body as tight as a drum, she suddenly rolled on her back, causing a wave of air whooshing towards him.  
Air that was filled with that maddening scent of hers and he suddenly couldn't take it anymore.  
He needed to get the hell out of here, as in; right now, before things would get _really_ awkward.  
And so he did.

After taking the two stairs, he burst through the door that led to the roof and the fresh air almost slapped him in the face, just the thing he needed right now.  
Kind of like a cold shower, hehe.  
Even if it seemed to be impossible to get rid of that nagging craving, the fresh air _did_ clear his head at least a little bit, a thing that was more than welcome right now.  
Man, this was crazy, even beyond that.  
This was just the first night of their little road trip and who knew how long they were going to be together twenty-four-seven?  
How on Mars was he able to function properly while this human was affecting him the way she did?  
Gosh, he needed a serious release, and fast, too.  
Sure, great idea and all, but how?

He couldn't just go back down and drag her out of her homemade bed.  
She was part of the team now, not just some random girl he would never see again and he somehow felt reluctant to get on her bad side.  
And since the Plutarkians had decided to wipe out almost the entire human race, and that included its women, they weren't exactly standing in line for him.  
Which they totally would have if they were still here, that he knew for sure.  
_Of course.  
_And on top of it all, there was Throttle.  
His tan-furred bro and leader, who would kill to keep Charley safe, that he knew.  
Oh man, how much he loved his life...  
_Not.  
_Okay, maybe he did.  
But not now.  
Certainly not now.  
_Air.  
_He just needed some more fresh air, that would do the trick.

He closed his eyes -because hey, maybe it would help the fresh breeze to penetrate deeper into his overheated brain- and took a few deep breaths.  
_Ah yes.  
_This was just what he needed.  
Pure air.  
Pure and fresh air.  
Pure and fresh air with a hint of the sweetest scent he'd ever smelled.  
A scent that made his blood rush through his veins faster than the speed of light, that made him more than aware of every nerve end in his body, that…  
_Hey.  
_Wait a minute…  
That wasn't supposed to happen.

Wrinkling his nose, he took another deep breath.  
And another one.  
Deep down, he definitely realized he looked like a complete fool, standing here, almost gasping for air like a fish out of the water.  
Kind of how John had looked like.  
But for once, he didn't care, and not only because nobody was able to see him right now.  
No, simply because he was more than determined to win this fight, to get rid of this awful yearning that was about to drive him crazy.  
Unfortunately, the more breaths he took, the stronger the scent grew.  
_Oh gosh...  
_Was it stuck in his nose or something?  
Was that even possible?  
He sure hoped it wasn't, otherwise, it wouldn't take long before he would really lose his mind.

But then, his sensitive hearing picked up footsteps.  
Despite everything, his brain was still clear enough to quickly connect the dots and his eyes flew open again when he realized what was happening.  
_Uh oh...  
_As he held in his breath, he looked over his shoulder, just in time to see Charley stepping through the door.  
_Uh oh indeed. _

"Hey you", she greeted him softly as she closed the door behind her.  
"Hi", Vinnie squeaked back, still trying very hard not to breathe and giving himself an inner scolding for being this uncool at the same time.  
But the damage had already been done, because the human female gave him a puzzled look.  
"Are you okay?"  
_No.  
_Yet, he nodded as his lungs practically screamed for oxygen, but he simply refused to give them what they wanted as long as he was looking her in the eye.  
Luckily, after giving him one last investigating look, she wrapped her arms around her waist and looked up to the stars.  
"It's such a clear sky tonight."

Without waiting for a response, she walked closer to the side of the roof, still gazing at the wild and wooly universe while Vinnie's eyes followed her every move, taking in her beautiful body.  
He couldn't care less about the stars.  
All he saw was her auburn-colored hair shining in the moonlight, her strong shoulders, her small waist, her perfectly-muscled legs...  
Without really realizing it, he let out his breath, almost mesmerized by the view.  
But letting it out meant letting new air in, which included that inciting fragrance of hers and his body just burst into flames.  
Well, not literally, of course, although he somehow wished it was.  
Because this was unbearable.

Biting his lower lip in an attempt to keep his head in the game, he put his hands in his pockets as he still glanced at Charley's back.  
Maybe he had to say something.  
This was getting a bit awkward.  
"So here we are again. Yet another sleepless night…"

It didn't exactly make things better.  
Because his voice was too low, too... _raw_.  
It all had something to do with these damned hormones that raged through his system at this very moment.  
And for the first time since forever, he cursed his great and handsome body for this overproduction of testosterone.  
But Charley's reaction told him she clearly thought differently, because he could see how she tensed her back, he could hear how her heartbeat increased, so was her breathing and he now knew for sure; he obviously did something to her as well.  
_Oh boy. _

Perhaps he didn't need a random girl to get a release, after all.  
Perhaps salvation was closer than he'd thought in the first place.  
It was as if she was able to hear what was going on in his head, because she slowly turned around and when his eyes locked with hers, he almost exploded out of his fur by seeing them burn in a way he hadn't seen before.  
Well, he _had_ seen it before, but not with her.  
Either way, he knew what it meant.  
Oh, _man_, he knew alright.  
And it made him even more aroused, to the extent possible.  
Holy shit, she was so sexy.  
Attractive.  
_Irresistible.  
_Hm.  
This was going to be interesting.  
_Very… _interesting.


	24. Chapter 24

Hey there!

Mucho thanks for the reviews, they always make my day and keep me motivated on days where writer blocks rule.

Speaking of which, it took me a while to update this story, my apologies.  
I was busy writing a few chapters for Lost in the Echo and I was a bit struggling with this chapter at the same time.  
But it's finished and even though it's a bit shorter than usual, I'm satisfied with the result.  
Well, satisfied enough to upload it, that is.  
Guess there's always room for improvement...  
Anyway, I hope you guys like it.

Feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated, but I guess that ain't no secret. XD  
Keep on rocking, dudes!

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 24**

The tension rose to an astonishing level as Charley did a few steps in Vinnie's direction, still looking him straight in the eye with that somehow hungry glance in her green eyes.  
"So, I wanted to thank you. For what you did last night", she broke the almost unbearable silence and Vinnie swallowed with difficulty as he stared into her burning eyes, not able to turn his gaze away.  
"You know. For saving my people", the human female added, still coming closer to him, step by step.  
_Hm_.  
She wanted to _thank_ him.  
_Right_.  
Well, maybe she did, but that sure as hell wasn't the reason why she was up here, he could tell.  
Her whole appearance practically _breathed_ something different.  
Something a bit more… _dirty.  
_Or perhaps that was just how Earthlings thanked each other.  
_Cool_.

That was _definitely_ something he could get used to.  
With every step she took in his direction, the air got thinner and the tension edgier.  
Her scent was different all of a sudden.  
Even more… intense.  
_Intoxicating.  
_How the fuck was that even possible?  
His body immediately responded and he shivered when that burning desire spread through his whole body, from the tip of his antennas all the way down to his feet.  
Even his tail tingled.  
And he knew.  
Oh, he knew alright.  
He was about to snap.  
This was inevitable.  
She was pushing him too far.  
There was only so much a mouse could take.  
Especially him.

A thing she seemed to be fully aware of.  
She _wanted _this.  
Or, at least, that's what he thought.  
But who wouldn't?  
It was very clear that she was seducing him.  
And he…  
Well, he was _more_ than willing to play along.  
_No surprise there. _

Eventually, she stopped right in front of him, close enough to feel the warmth of her body.  
To hear her heart pounding in her chest as if it was his own.  
He looked down on her, the tip of his tail dancing like a blade of grass in the wind.  
She looked back at him with eyes still smoldering and his mouth became dry.  
Slowly, his gaze lowered and landed on her lips.  
Her soft-looking parted lips.  
Lips that now formed the words which she wanted to say to him.  
Words that were the reason why she was up here.  
_According to her.  
_"So… Thank you."

If it was possible for his heart to just stop beating, this would be the perfect moment.  
Because her voice was the last push he needed.  
Her voice, that was so different all of a sudden, all breathy and raw.  
_All sexy as hell.  
_Yep.  
Inevitable.  
_Big time.  
_He reached out to her and while his fingers slid into her soft hair, releasing another wave of that insane odor of hers, he slightly tilted his head before his lips practically crashed on hers.  
_  
Holy-fuck-a-moly.  
_From the moment their lips made contact, it was as if a bomb went off in his body, pumping pure fire through his veins.  
He thought he already knew the meaning of desire, but this…  
This was something else, alright.  
There weren't really words that could describe what happened to him at this very moment.  
All he knew was that he didn't want it to stop.  
As in; never.  
_And so he was doomed to be seduced by this creature for all eternity...  
_What a disaster that will be proven to be.  
_Not.  
_Hehe.

Strangely enough, she seemed to share this particular feeling, because she kissed him back with a hunger he'd never experienced before.  
_Hot damn_, tasting her was just as maddening as smelling her and before he knew it, his hands already slid down her body as he deepened the kiss, feeling every curve that was hidden under her clothes.  
_Why was she still wearing clothes?  
_Good question.  
With great timing as ever.  
_A doff of the cap to you, my friend.  
_But he didn't even wear a hat.  
_Details… they're so overrated. _

Anyhoo, again, Charley was on the same page with him, because her hands now reached his pants.  
Only feeling her hands this close to that part of his body made him almost look cross-eyed from eagerness and he roughly broke off the kiss as he reached over his shoulders to his back.  
"You sure about this?", he asked with a low voice while pulling his hoodie over his head.  
"It's just sex, Vinnie", she answered almost panting as she pulled on his belt a bit clumsy because of her eagerness.  
_Okay_.  
He supposed that should hurt.  
But it didn't.  
Not in the way it should have, that is.

"I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear that", he breathed, throwing his sweater over his shoulder before reaching out to her and he practically ripped her blouse off her body, making the small buttons fly in every direction.  
_Smooth.  
__Subtle.  
__I like it.  
_"Sex with me is not _'just sex'_, after all. But…", and he now clicked her pants open with only two fingers, flashing her a mischievous smile.  
"... I get it. No strings attached."  
He pulled her back in his muscular arms, shivering by feeling her soft skin rubbing against his body.  
"Fine by me", he concluded before he kissed her again.

It wasn't even a lie.  
Not even to get what he wanted.  
He _really _was fine with it.  
And by the looks of things, he was still about to get what he wanted.  
_Life_.  
It really was full of surprises.  
Kind of like a box of stolen weapons.  
You never knew what you're gonna get.  
_So awesome.  
_"Good. Now stop talking", she breathed against his lips and the left corner of his mouth curled up.  
"So bossy. I _love _it."

But even he, the talker of all talkers, had for once no problem with doing what he was told.  
_Geez, I wonder why...  
_As he reclaimed her mouth again, he lifted her before bending the knees and he gently laid her down on the cool material of the rooftop.  
Her hands slid through the fur on his back as she pulled him closer to her, making some parts of their bodies rub against each other and Vinnie clenched his teeth, somehow trying to keep himself under control, but it was no use.  
Of course, it wasn't.  
This was going to happen.  
As in; right now.  
And why should he even try to stop it?  
_Again; good question.  
_Gosh, he was so smart, it almost hurt.  
The downside of being this awesome as he was.  
But it was a burden he didn't mind to carry.  
_Someone had to do it.  
_It might as well be him.

There suddenly wasn't enough time.  
He needed to feel her.  
Taste her.  
Be with her.  
She clearly wanted the same, because again, she was pulling on his pants.  
_Wonderful things it were, pants.  
_But so… _prohibitive _in moments like these.  
So, he quickly freed them both from the only thing that was stopping them from giving in to their obviously _shared_ desire.  
He leaned over her, looking her straight in the eye when he firmly but still somehow gently pushed himself inside of her.  
It was strange, that even though her eyes were green, they looked as black as the night from the moment she felt him inside of her.  
She bit her lower lip as a soft moan escaped her mouth and it did such wonder for his ego.  
_Oh, how awesome it was to be him. _

He felt her hands holding his arms, pulling on his fur as he picked up the pace, not able to take things slow.  
He didn't do slow.  
Tonight was no exception.  
His breathing accelerated, his heart almost exploded out his chest by feeling this strange creature underneath him.  
It somehow amazed him that being with her felt so similar to his previous _'bed partners'_, which was kind of strange, for they were two entirely different species.  
If he had to be honest, it felt even better.  
He wasn't sure why, especially because the whole telepathy thing didn't work on humans, he now noticed.  
Usually, he would connect with his partner, which made them both able to share their feelings, their sensations, their thoughts…  
It wasn't necessarily a love thing.  
It was literally to make the whole experience twice as good.

But with Charley, he didn't need that.  
He didn't even miss it.  
Because she was able to set his whole body on fire like no one else ever accomplished, not even while being connected.  
His fingers clung to the strange material of the roof as he tried to delay the inevitable, for this was simply too good to be over this soon.  
But it was hard.  
Especially when he felt her tighten around him as she dug her nails into his flesh, telling him that he hadn't been the only one this close to a discharge.  
"Shit", she panted, squeezing her eyes as her whole body shook under him.  
She somehow seemed to be disappointed.  
Perhaps because she thought it was over.  
_Oh, not to worry, Charley-girl.  
_This was _far_ from over.  
There had to be more inside that fragile but beautiful body of hers and he was more than determined to get it out.  
'_Just sex.'  
_Ugh.  
Such an insult.

He looked down on her with the left corner of his mouth curled up, highly amused by seeing her ecstasy.  
_Oh boy, was she in for something.  
_This was only the beginning.  
When he picked up the pace again, he vaguely noticed the hint of another scent filling his nostrils.  
Since it was only a small hint, he didn't pay that much attention to it.  
Especially now Charley pulled him down to kiss him again.  
That was enough to make him forget that he'd even noticed it in the first place.  
But his brain still registered this seemingly unimportant detail and carefully saved it in his memory, for it knew that it was _everything_ but insignificant.

_**…  
**_

_Fifteen minutes earlier…_

Throttle was twisting and turning in his home-made bed, his fur soaked with sweat.  
Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he jerked upright, breathing heavily.  
_Man_.  
Another nightmare.  
This was getting ridiculous.  
How many times could a mouse dream about losing his other half?  
_Carbine_.  
She literally haunted him in his dreams.  
And the funny thing was that he suddenly doubted if she was worth it.  
To allow her to play with his mind the way she did.  
Only _thinking_ this made him angry at himself.  
Of course, she was worth it.  
They belonged together.  
_Right?  
_Right…

He buried his face in his hands and rubbed his stinging eyes, too shaken to grab his glasses.  
If he would put them on, the world would become sharp.  
And if the world would become sharp, it would become real at the same time and at this very moment, reality was the last thing he needed.  
All he wanted was to be his old calm self again.  
Because this… being this labile… being this torn apart from the inside...  
It was simply unbearable.

He let out his breath as nausea formed a lump in his throat and he suddenly felt homesick like never before.  
He just wanted to go back home.  
Not just that.  
He wanted to go back to the time when life wasn't this complicated, even though it hadn't been easy either.  
But it was nothing… _nothing _compared to this mess.  
And it was all his fault.  
He was in this mess because he'd decided to let someone in, someone who wasn't Carbine.  
_Charley_.

The image of her cold green eyes flashed before his eyes.  
Her cold voice echoed through his head.  
Soon, his bro's accompanied her, both looking at him accusingly.  
Vinnie's bleeding nose, his two-colored eyes fuming.  
Modo's disappointed and somehow disapproving face.  
'_She doesn't deserve you, bro.'_

Was he really that blind?  
Okay, perhaps that was a wrong choice of words, hehe.  
But still…  
Was he missing something that anyone else was able to see?  
Maybe.  
But they didn't know Carbine the way he did.  
Their love was complicated but genuine.  
_Was it?_

No.  
He knew it wasn't.  
And yet, here he was.  
Chasing away everyone he loved with his unexplainable and for him unkind behavior.  
Everyone, except for Carbine.  
He always kept her close, even now.  
It suddenly felt as if was struck by lightning and he slowly lowered his hands when he realized that it was him.  
It was him all along.  
It wasn't the war.  
Nor Carbine.  
Nor Charley.  
Nor his bro's.  
It was _him _who turned his world upside down, over and over again.  
He did this to himself and him alone.

By the Gods, how could he be so stupid?  
There he was, telling Charley she needed to let go of Max because he was only holding her back.  
That he didn't deserve her love.  
That he knew how hard it was to let go of something that familiar.  
That he knew because he too once held something close to him that wasn't healthy.  
And _shit_, he just did it again.  
Without blinking.  
And he blamed Vinnie for being a slow learner.  
For needing to learn things the hard way.  
_How hypocrite._

Because in reality, it was he who was the slow learner.  
He was only projecting his own mistakes on his white-furred bro.  
Which was beyond unreasonable.  
_Man…  
_And he thought that this mess couldn't get any bigger.  
He was torturing himself by choosing Carbine.  
_Again.  
_It was a mistake, he now knew.  
A big one, too.  
He needed to set things straight.  
He needed to fix this.  
Before it was too late.

He quickly grabbed his glasses and put them on, already climbing on his feet to wake up Charley.  
He needed to talk to her.  
Right now.  
But when the world became sharp, he quickly noticed that she wasn't in her home-made bed.  
His bionic eyes wandered through the room and eventually, his gaze landed on another empty bed.  
And so wasn't his beloved white-furred bro.  
The nausea became worse, for this could only mean that the big pile of shit was about to grow even bigger, as far as that goes.  
_Or maybe not.  
_Only one way to find out.

After checking Modo, who was still out like a light, he left the room, still determined to set things straight.  
But the building was quite big and since he had no idea where Charley could be, he decided to start at the top and work his way down.  
Slowly, he walked up the stairs.  
His movements were jerky, as if he was controlled by AI, a bit like his bike, perhaps.  
As if he was a robot.  
A robot with feelings.  
_A lot of feelings.  
_And a very good hearing.

He pricked his ears when he heard muted noises coming from the rooftop, but he didn't quicken his pace.  
No, he was somehow scared for what he was about to find.  
Still, he didn't stop either.  
He didn't turn around.  
He just kept walking until he reached the door.  
As in slow motion, his tan-furred hand reached out to the doorknob.  
_Please, don't let it be too late…_

But when the door opened, he already knew it was.  
He already knew, even before his gaze landed on the scenario played on the roof.  
He was too late.  
She had made her choice.  
And it wasn't him.  
_Obviously. _

No.  
That wasn't fair.  
It was him who had made his choice.  
And now he was forced to live with the consequences.  
It was him who had denied himself his own luck, chasing Charley right into Vinnie's arms while doing so.  
He had chosen Carbine.  
As he always did.  
And he paid the price.  
As he always did.  
Even if this was a price too high for his abilities, he still paid it, dutiful as he was.  
Loyal as he was.

_Carbine.  
_It was now crystal clear.  
It would always be Carbine.  
_Till death do them part..._

_**…**_

Vinnie lay on his back with both his hands folded under his head, staring at the stars as he was still catching his breath after this amazing and so satisfying event.  
Charley lay next to him, her head resting on his chest as her finger followed the lines of his abs that were hidden under his white fur.  
It was somehow a relief that she was able to touch him now without him catching fire and all.  
His body was finally able to relax.  
_For now.  
_And he suddenly felt how tired he actually was.  
All his energy and strength drained from his body after two sleepless nights on a row.  
Even going back to his home-made bed felt like a trip back to Mars, so he remained where he was, even though he knew it might be better to go back before one of his bro's noticed both of their absence.  
But he just couldn't overcome himself to get into movement.

Charley seemed to feel the same way, because she made no move to go back either.  
They both hadn't said a word about what had just happened.  
They just lay there.  
Catching their breath.  
Under the stars.  
Life was could be so peaceful sometimes.  
And sometimes, very occasionally, Vinnie enjoyed these moments.  
Even he needed some peace and quietness, sometimes.

But peace and quietness were about to be in a real short supply, because he felt Charley's hand sliding towards something from which he knew she was going to ask questions about, for she had done it before.  
Questions he didn't want to answer.  
Yet, he didn't stop her and soon her fingers enclosed the pendant that he carried with him everywhere he went.  
The pendant, that was both a curse and a blessing.  
"It's beautiful", Charley said softly as she studied the silver object.

Vinnie didn't respond.  
What could he say?  
That it was, indeed, beautiful?  
That the one to who it once belonged was even beyond that?  
That from the moment she let out her final breath, a part from him had died as well?  
That he was simply incomplete without her?  
_Nah.  
_No words could neither explain nor ease this pain.  
So he didn't even try.  
He just stared at the stars, hoping that she would be up there.  
Looking down on him.  
So she would know that he tried to move on, but that no one could ever really replace her.  
That his heart belonged to her, for all eternity.  
Because it did.

And it suddenly hit him like a spaceship.  
It all made sense now.  
Why he didn't care to be either second choice or a rebound.  
Why the words _'It's just sex'_ didn't really hurt him in the way it should've.  
Sure, it was a blow to his ego, but that's it.  
_It was all physical.  
_No matter how much Charley affected him, it was nothing more than a physical response.  
An intense one, yes, but his heart...  
His heart remained closed.

Did he like her?  
_Yes.  
_Did he respect her?  
_Absolutely.  
_Did he feel attracted to her?  
_Without a doubt.  
_Did he actually _love _her?  
_No.  
_His love was reserved for one person only.  
It always would be.  
_Harley._

"Did you love her?", Charley broke the silence, still staring at the pendant in her hand.  
Vinnie wrinkled his nose as he blinked a few times.  
_This was just getting downright scary, alright.  
_Perhaps he had jumped the gun on the fact that humans weren't able to read someone else's thoughts.  
Charley seemed to be very good at it.  
_This woman, honestly...  
_But, as he had noticed before, there was just something about her that made him want to open up.  
It wasn't love, that he knew.  
Perhaps it was trust.  
Because despite the fact that he wasn't in love with her, he _did_ trust her.  
Completely.  
Even though he only knew her for a short matter of time, he was somehow convinced that she would never laugh at him if he would lower his walls a little bit.  
Not even behind his back.  
She was genuine.  
Honest.  
Pure.

She reminded him of Harley, actually.  
Harley, who hadn't only been his partner, but his best friend as well.  
Maybe that was what he missed most about her.  
Her gift to never judge, no matter how crazy his thoughts were.  
And even though his heart didn't open up for this human, perhaps there was still a chance to get at least a part of her back.  
_A friend.  
_When he still remained silent, Charley lifted her head to look up at him, her green eyes filled with nothing but sympathy.  
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's a stupid question anyway."  
Perhaps it was.  
A stupid question.  
He knew he didn't have to answer.  
And yet, he wanted to.  
_So weird. _

"Yes, I loved her. I guess I still do", he eventually said, avoiding her gaze by looking up at the sky again.  
"I guess I'll always do."  
Charley nodded before turning her gaze back to the silver hanger.  
After a long silence, she heaved a sigh.  
"This somehow feels wrong. You and me. I'm not sure why, but it just does…"  
Vinnie couldn't help himself but agree with her.  
He _did_ know why, though.  
A certain tan-furred mouse came to mind.  
_Still…  
_"Do you regret it?", he asked softly as his left index finger slid over her arm.  
Her soft skin.  
Feeling it under his furry finger was enough to fire that burning desire again, telling him that his hunger for her was far from satisfied.  
He wasn't even sure if it would ever be.  
Which was a problem.  
A huge problem.

"No, I don't. Far from it. In fact, only thinking that this was just a one-time thing makes me feel… disappointed. Reluctant. Maybe even sad."  
Again, he shared her opinion.  
_But look at the facts.  
_Although she was here with him right now, driven by to him unknown motives, he knew she had feelings for Throttle, somewhere well hidden.  
And he knew that Throttle had feelings for her, a bit less well hidden.  
That complicated things, despite the fact that his beloved tan-furred leader and this strange but lovely creature weren't exactly on speaking terms right now.  
That wouldn't last forever, that he knew.  
Perhaps it was time for him to step aside.  
He got what he wanted, after all.  
He'd won the competition and got her first.  
Perhaps not by heart, but that was okay.  
He knew now.  
There was simply no room left for her.  
Charley seemed to know that, too.  
In fact, she even seemed to be fine with it.  
'_Just sex.'  
_It was true.  
Insulting, maybe, but true nevertheless.

Still, it wasn't really about that anymore.  
The competition.  
This was about something entirely different.  
About him having the opportunity to heal.  
To have something back that would make him feel a bit more whole again.  
Less broken.  
_A friend.  
_Next to all that, he knew that his body was far from done with her.  
So was he really willing to make room while he was still yearning for her in a way that was almost too much to bear?  
Willing, maybe.  
But could he actually _do_ it?  
To just ignore this craving, to just let it walk away because of love that wasn't his in the first place?  
Was he really that selfless?  
_Uh, no.  
_He was known for being the exact opposite, actually.

And he already knew that he wasn't going to be able to let Charley go.  
Not yet.  
Not like that.  
He would betray himself if he gave away this opportunity to heal.  
_To feel again.  
_"It doesn't have to be a one-time thing, ya know", he suggested so-called nonchalantly as his finger now made its way down to her hip.  
Even in the dark, he was able to see the goosebumps his action gave her.  
And he knew that she wasn't going to be able to let him go that easily either.  
They did something to each other, something physically and they both seemed to be eager to explore this unexplained phenomenon.  
And one time just wasn't enough.  
Far from it.  
"No strings attached, of course", he added, his voice already low again.

Charley heaved a sigh as she shivered under his touch and in one movement, she climbed on top of him.  
Her eyes were already a few tints darker again and Vinnie, in turn, already felt the fire rushing through his veins again.  
"Friends with benefits", she concluded as she rubbed her lower body against his, making him even more aroused.  
"Call it whatever you want", he breathed as he reached out to her.  
But when his hands slid down her body, she gently laid hers on his to stop him and looked at him with that intense look of hers.  
"Are you sure? Because the way I see it, this has to remain our little secret. Can you do that?"  
Vinnie frowned as his brain processed her words and he slightly tilted his head.  
"Lying to my bro's, you mean?"  
"Yes."

_Hm.  
_That was a complication.  
He never lied to his bro's.  
They never lied to him either.  
Their bond was built on trust entirely and the thought alone of violating that trust made him somehow feel sick to the stomach.  
But when he looked at her hands holding his, at that body of hers that made his mouth water while being almost _intoxicated_ by that maddening scent, he already knew that there wasn't exactly a choice.  
Well, Throttle would say that there was.  
'_There's always a choice, Vincent.'  
_It wasn't even a lie, that he knew.  
Because in his bionic eyes, there was.  
But this didn't feel like a choice.  
This felt like something that was imposed.  
It was this great but uncontrollable desire that pulled the strings, after all.  
He had no say in this whatsoever.

_Still...  
_This was what he liked to call a dilemma.  
A most delicate one, too.  
She was right, after all.  
It was for the best if his bro's didn't know about this, if only to keep the tempers in their group in check.  
_Okay, that was just a lame-ass excuse.  
_Since when did he care about flaming tempers?  
He was a walking flaming temper himself, that he knew.  
So, let's be honest here.  
It was all self-preservation.  
He didn't want them to know because he knew they would do anything to stop this, for they simply didn't understand what this meant to him.  
They would judge him, as they always did, with good reason, though.  
Of course, he could try to explain it to them.  
But that meant he needed to open up.  
To be... vulnerable...  
_Ugh._  
Talk about your dirty words.  
Definitely sent shivers down his spine.  
_Yuck_.

But despite all that, he didn't want to lie to them either.  
That was an act bordering close to betrayal.  
A bit too close, for his taste.  
But then it hit him.  
_Wait a minute..._  
Maybe he never lied to his bro's, but he most certainly didn't tell them everything either.  
There were some things he kept to himself, as his good right.  
They respected that, as much as he respected their secrets.  
_Everyone had their secrets...  
_This was no different.  
So technically, he didn't _actually_ have to lie to his bro's.  
As long as they didn't ask him about this particular subject, that is.  
But he had the feeling that they wouldn't.  
He'd already noticed how Charley had become a very touchy subject within their small but successful group, so he figured it wouldn't come up _that_ easily.  
_There ya go.  
_Problem solved.

And so, he gently made his hands lose and when he reached her hips, he lifted her, just enough for him to make his way inside of her again.  
A growl vibrated deep down his chest as soon as she started moving and he closed his eyes for a moment.  
It felt as if he was floating.  
It was crazy what she was able to trigger within him.  
Like hell that this was a choice.  
There was just no way that he was able to ignore whatever it was that she was doing to him.  
_A friend…  
_A friend sounded good.  
As for the rest…  
Well, the rest would be as it would be.

He didn't have the illusion that he was able to change his fate.  
And right now, his fate was intrinsically linked with Charley's for whatever reason.  
Her path was his now too.  
For the time being.  
One day -and he had no idea when- their paths would go separate ways again.  
But for now, they were connected as one.  
He opened his eyes again and looked her straight in the eye.  
"You've got yourself a deal, pretty lady. As cheesy as it sounds, friends with benefits it is."


	25. Chapter 25

Hey you guys...

How are y'all doing out there?  
I hope you're all safe and healthy in these crazy times.  
My thoughts are with you all.

So, thanks for all the reviews, it really means the world, I just can't say it enough.  
It creates a feeling of togetherness, which warms my heart.  
Thank you for that.  
For supporting me.  
For sharing this adventure with me.

When I started writing, now almost two and a half years ago, I never thought I would reach this point, to be part of this small community that is now an important part of my life.  
Thank you for being part of that, too.  
I can't even begin to explain how much it means, and I won't even try because I don't wanna bore you with all the details about how messed up my life is right now.  
As long as you know that this, all this, helps a lot.  
THANK YOU!

Aaaaaaaaanyway, enough with the sentimental jibber-jabber.  
On with the story!  
Enjoy and feel free to leave a review once you're done. :)

Stay safe out there, everyone.  
It's a mad world.

Later dudes!

* * *

**Chapter 25**

Again, Throttle woke up with a startle, but this time it wasn't because of nightmares, a thing he was grateful for.  
He wasn't entirely sure what it was that woke him this brutally, but what amazed him the most was the fact that he'd managed to fall asleep in the first place, especially after seeing what he had seen on that rooftop.  
Perhaps he had reached his limits.  
Because from the moment he saw that he'd lost Charley forever, his mind had just shut down.  
As if it was in shock or something like that.  
He felt dazed ever since.  
Numb.  
Flat.  
_Empty_.

Slowly, he got upright and rubbed his face before putting on his glasses.  
From the moment his vision became sharp, his eyes immediately darted to Charley, he just couldn't help himself.  
This attraction to her was simply impossible to ignore, no matter the status of their current relationship and his face softened as he watched her.  
She looked so peaceful as she lay there, almost completely hidden underneath the thin blanket that was supposed to protect her from the cold at night but clearly hadn't been enough, seeing the way her fingers frantically held it on its place.  
Except for that small detail, she was completely relaxed, that awful frown nowhere to be found and the tan-furred mouse heaved a sigh as his gaze wandered further and landed on his white-furred bro, who lay only a few feet away from this human creature that was the cause of their disturbed relationship.

He always thought that their bond was unbreakable, that nothing could come between them, but the painful truth was that he was wrong.  
Very wrong.  
The past few days on this weird planet were the proof of that.  
And yet, seeing his young and usual restless bro lying on his belly with his head resting on one arm, clearly in a deep slumber, made him feel all warm inside.  
Which was very confusing, because wasn't he supposed to feel anger towards him?  
Or resentment?  
Or perhaps even both?  
For taking away -in his opinion- the one and only opportunity to feel some happiness.  
To feel wanted.  
_Loved.  
_To experience true love, for he now knew that he had no idea what love meant before he met Charley.  
And now it was taken away from him before he had the chance to explore this weird yet amazing feeling.  
Even worse, it was taken away by his youngest bro, despite his warnings.  
Wasn't that supposed to make him feel angry?  
Or at least a bit annoyed?  
It probably was.

But the thing was, he didn't feel any of that as he watched his bro.  
No, all he felt was this warmth inside by seeing the white-furred mouse this quiet.  
This peaceful.  
Well, perhaps there was a small hint of disappointment.  
But that's it.  
_Life.  
_It definitely wasn't a straight road.  
It had all these unexpected and sharp turns, which made it more than confusing sometimes.  
But he knew one thing and that was that all he ever wanted for his bro was to be happy.  
To be wanted.  
_Loved_.  
After all the shit he had been through, he deserved to be happy.  
By the Gods, perhaps no one deserved it more than he did.  
He was there, when Harley died.  
When she let out her final breath in Vinnie's arms.  
That day was burned in his memory and not only because of his own losses, like his eyes, for instance.  
Vinnie's pain had been almost too much to bear, that day.  
It had gone through the bone, all the way to his heart, making it as cold as ice.

For someone who had vowed to protect the ones he loved from anything that could possibly hurt them, feeling Vinnie's pain had been beyond excruciating.  
And not just because he had failed to protect him, but simply because he had been completely powerless.  
There was nothing… absolutely _nothing_ that could've either take away the pain or ease it.  
His young bro was broken, and he didn't have the tools to fix him.  
To make him whole again.  
It was the worst feeling he'd ever experienced.  
To feel so powerless.  
Helpless.  
He still was.  
Because Vinnie's pain was still there, even though he did everything to cover it up.  
To make everyone around him believe that he was okay.  
But he wasn't.  
Throttle knew he wasn't.  
And again, there was nothing he could do about it.

His bionic eyes wandered back to Charley again.  
Perhaps she was able to heal his bro.  
Because by seeing the calmness Vinnie radiated at the moment, with his usual restlessness vanished into thin air, Throttle knew that what happened last night meant more to the white-furred mouse than just giving in to his… _needs_.  
He just knew it was.  
So how could he be angry?  
All he ever wanted for his bro was to be happy.  
Even if this happiness cost him his own.  
It seemed a small price to pay after watching helplessly how Vinnie struggled with his pain, day in, day out.  
Deep down he knew it was everything but small, but still, he would pay it.  
Without blinking.  
Like he always did.  
_A leader where people could rely on..._

Not to mention it had been him who told Charley that they couldn't be together.  
So how could he be angry?  
That would be nothing more than blaming Vinnie for his own mistakes.  
He needed to take responsibility for his actions, no matter how much it pained him.  
It was all part of being a leader.  
A position which carried a price, the fact if it was small or big left open.  
_Solitude_.  
He couldn't afford all this.  
All this… _drama.  
_There was too much at stake.  
They all counted on him.  
Mostly Carbine.  
And he…  
Well, he simply couldn't let them down.  
Let _her _down.  
_Life_.  
It was elusive.  
Incomprehensible.  
_Such a journey..._

After one last glance at his young bro, Throttle leaned to his right to search his jacket for the small bottle of eye drops.  
He considered himself, at the very least, lucky that Ben had given it to him right after their meeting with Dante, otherwise, he wouldn't be holding it in his leather fingerless gloved hand, given the rush with which they had to leave camp.  
_A blessing in disguise.  
_After taking off his glasses, he applied a few drops of the cold and emollient liquid in each eye and relief washed over him when it immediately did what it supposed to do, namely; making him able to blink without that poignant feeling as if his eyes were slowly crumbling into dust.  
As he just sat there, his eyes closed, enjoying this moment of enlightenment, he suddenly heard that noise again and his eyes flew open as his ears almost danced in every direction in an attempt to locate the source.  
If he had it right, it came from below them and he slowly climbed on his feet as he put on his glasses again, still listening very carefully.  
_Hm_.  
It seemed that whatever it was came from outside, which was actually quite reassuring, for it meant that they weren't discovered.  
_Yet_.

Bending through the knees, he snuck towards one of the big windows and peeked over the window sill, his instinct telling him that he needed to stay out of sight as much as possible.  
When his gaze landed on the situation outside, his heart skipped a few beats and he now knew why the sound had startled him so much.  
_Ambush_.  
Without thinking, he whistled a short melody between his teeth to wake up his beloved bro's.  
It was a sign they used for emergencies only, so it wasn't really a surprise that both of them immediately jumped at their feet with Modo already raising his bionic arm and Vinnie holding one of his precious ray guns in his right hand.  
"Where's the fire?", the latter asked as he looked around him bewildered, although his voice sounded a bit dazed after this abrupt wake-up call.  
"Did you try to cook again?", Modo demanded as he gave Throttle this somehow stern look.  
Kind of like the look his father used to give him, back in the days, when he had done something that wasn't allowed.  
It wasn't unfounded though.  
Him trying to cook came close to a natural disaster.  
_Yeah, well.  
_Nobody's perfect.

Ignoring Modo's question for many obvious reasons, the tan-furred mouse gestured them to come closer as he already looked outside again.  
"We've got company, bro's. Check it out."  
"Whoa, looks like my fan club has finally arrived", Vinnie breathed when he saw what his leader meant.  
"And they got us surrounded", Modo grumbled, his eye already glowing red again.  
Vinnie shrugged in return, clearly not worried at all, which was, of course, no surprise.  
"So? When the going gets tough, the tough whip's tail, Modo my mouse", he imitated Stoker flawlessly.  
"Maybe, but who knows how many there are hiding down the road, waiting to jump on us from the moment we show our faces?", Throttle mused, rubbing his furry chin.  
"How did they know were here in the first place?", Modo wondered out loud.  
"Beats me. But it isn't hard to guess _why _they are here…"  
"The bounty."  
"Yes, the bounty."  
"_Puhlease_… Can you _stop_ with repeating that word every time you hear it? It's starting to get _really _annoying", Vinnie snorted a bit grumpy as his two-colored eyes took in the situation below.

But then, he suddenly froze and after blinking a few times, his facial expression switched from annoyed to determined with a touch of mischief, a sign that could only mean trouble, Throttle knew.  
"Welly, well, well. Look who's here to join the party, bro's", and he pointed at something in the distance.  
Both Throttle and Modo followed his finger and when Modo realized where he was looking at, he cracked his knuckles as a somehow devious smile appeared on his face.  
This too could only mean trouble, the tan-furred leader knew.  
"It's that mysterious biker again. The one who's responsible for damaging my bike. Oh, momma, revenge will be sweet…"  
_Yep_.  
Trouble indeed.

Usually, Modo wasn't one who was resentful but, as mentioned before, when it came to his bike, all bets were off.  
Of course, Vinnie was more than happy with an ally, for he was usually the only one who was this eager for revenge.  
"You said it, big fella. Oh man, I can't wait to show him what happens when you mess with the Biker Mice From Mars", the young mouse agreed with his older bro and after spinning it around his finger, he reloaded his ray gun with a loud click, all ready to whip some tail.  
But Throttle shook his head as he laid a hand on their arm to stop them.  
Although he shared their need for revenge, he knew they couldn't just dive in.  
Not this time.  
There were too many.  
Besides, the mysterious biker had already proven to be a worthy opponent.  
He alone would be enough to have their hands full.  
"I hear ya, bro's, but we need to play this one by the book…"

The words hadn't even left his mouth or Vinnie already almost fell out of the window in shock.  
"No way, man! I already told ya, that guy is really in for something when we see him again. No one catches this mouse without me teaching them the consequences. You can't take that away from me. That's like… taking away my dignity!", he protested, exaggerating as always.  
But Throttle shook his head again, determined to stick with his point.  
"No can do, Vincent. There's too much at stake here…", and he pointed over his shoulder to Charley, who was still peacefully asleep, not aware of the threat that was waiting for them outside.  
Vinnie wrinkled his nose in annoyance, but the tan-furred leader knew that was because the young mouse realized that he was right.  
It was general knowledge that they didn't mind risking their lives for the cause, heck, they were even used to it, how sad that may be.  
But they couldn't play with Charley's life like that.  
That just wasn't fair.  
That just wasn't who they were.  
Next to all that, Carbine, Stoker and the rest relayed on them to get them out of their precarious position.  
That might prove difficult if they got blown up to smithereens in this town where one wouldn't want to be caught dead in the first place.

"Ah man, don't you just hate it to be the good guy sometimes?", the white-furred mouse breathed in defeat and Throttle knew he'd won this round.  
_Good_.  
Modo was still looking outside, rubbing his chin.  
"I dunno, bro… Are we really gonna let him walk away?"  
Throttle laid a hand on Modo's shoulder as he looked at the small silhouette in the distance, sitting motionless on his bike that was parked on a roof of a small building.  
"Hey, I never said that we're gonna let him walk away. All I'm saying is that we need a plan."  
"A plan for what?"  
All three mice looked over their shoulder, seeing Charley sitting upright in her home-made bed with messy hair, rubbing her face a bit dazed.  
"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep okay?", Vinnie asked supposedly innocent with fluttering lashes and Throttle grinded his teeth when he saw Charley's blush.  
_Man_.  
Perhaps this was going to be a little bit harder than he thought.  
Then again, what could he do?  
This was how it was going to be from now on, so he might as well get used to it.  
That would make things a lot easier.  
Besides, he didn't want them to notice that he knew what went on last night, so he cleared his throat and pointed at the window with his thumb.  
"It looks like that bounty is still hunting our tails."

Charley rubbed her eyes one more time before she scrambled on her feet and while letting out a big yawn, she walked over to the window.  
When she saw what was going on, she was at once altogether awake.  
"Oh."  
Vinnie snickered by hearing this dry comment and casually stretched his arms.  
"Oh is right. But don't sweat it, babe. We'll keep you _aaaall_ safe and sound. You've got nothing to worry about."  
Throttle rolled his bionic eyes behind his customized specs by hearing the honey-sweet tone of voice, he just couldn't stop himself.  
It suddenly wasn't that hard anymore to get angry with his youngest bro.  
Not now he was awake.  
_Man_.

"You do know that I don't need you to keep me safe? I can take care of myself just fine, thank you very much", Charley responded as she pinched Vinnie's nose, but he was far from impressed.  
"Whatever helps ya sleep at night, babe. _If _you sleep at all, that is..."  
Throttle clenched his fists to stop himself from exploding.  
By the Gods, this was beyond annoying.  
But help came from an unexpected corner.  
"He's right, Charley ma'am. We'll make sure they won't hurt ya", Modo joined in, chivalrous as he was.  
Throttle wondered if the big guy noticed that something was different between these two or that he just blamed it to Vinnie being a hopeless flirt.  
As far as he knew, Modo was completely unaware of the fact that the whole situation was escalated in just one night.  
One night was all it took…  
_Stop_.  
He couldn't afford all this, remember?  
There was a whole army out there, an army of amateur bounty hunters, all determined to collect their price.  
And he…  
Well, he was a leader where people could rely on.  
Time to live it up, once again.

It was up to him to guide his bro's and Charley through this as safely as possible.  
But that didn't mean that they couldn't play hardball.  
_Oh no…  
_Vinnie was right about one thing.  
The time had come to learn these people that messing with them didn't go unpunished.  
They needed to put a mark on this for them unfamiliar world.  
_Their_ mark.  
Just like they had done on Mars.  
_Yeah_.  
It was time that these people learned what happened to those who crossed the Biker Mice From Mars.  
All they needed was a foolproof plan.

Charley heaved a sigh as she turned back to the window, clearly knowing that there was nothing she could say to stop them from protecting her.  
"There are so many of them… It's crazy. And here I was, thinking that I and my people were the only survivors", she eventually broke the silence, staring at the big group of people that were scattered throughout the small town, all preparing themselves for battle.  
Some of them were already searching the buildings, for now still far enough of where they were located.  
But Throttle knew it was only a matter of time before they would find them.  
"Guess it's safe to say that humans are pretty resilient, huh?", Modo responded, leaning casually against the wall with one hand as his one eye scanned their surrounding.  
"I guess it is…", Charley said softly.  
"So, are we just gonna stand here and wait till they make the first move or are we gonna do what we do best and whip some major tail? ", Vinnie interfered impatiently, already as restless as always.

It was kind of hard to believe that it was only minutes ago that he'd been so peacefully asleep.  
But seeing the over more than a hundred people outside was all it took to pump enough adrenaline through his veins to make him hyper as hell.  
Nothing new.  
"Rope it in, Vincent. Unless you've got a plan of course?", Throttle immediately stepped in as he grabbed a small bottle of water, knowing that he needed to use the time they had left before hell would break loose to prepare his body for battle.  
Hydrating it seemed to be a good start.  
In the meantime, Vinnie turned to face his leader and held up a finger in the air, all ready to share his plan and the tan-furred mouse folded his arms as he gave his younger bro an expectant look, all ears to hear this plan from which he knew didn't exist.  
"Well, we could uh… No wait, maybe we should… Uh… Or we just…", the young mouse stuttered, thereby confirming Throttle's thoughts.  
When he seemed to realize that he was making a total fool out of himself, Vinnie flashed him one of his trademark smiles as he put his hands behind his back.  
"No. I don't."  
"I figured as much", Throttle nodded as he popped the cap of the small bottle.

Charley turned her gaze away from the window and looked at Throttle, who looked back.  
The coldness in her eyes was gone, but it was now replaced with a certain distance that wasn't there before and it hurt him more than he liked to admit.  
But he didn't even flinch, he just looked back as his mind went blank again.  
As if his body tried to protect him from his heartache.  
Unaware of his inner battle, Charley opened her mouth.  
"You don't wanna dive in because of their numbers, am I right?"  
He slowly nodded, not sure where she was getting at, but he decided to wait and see.  
"Right. Listen, I might have a plan, but it's dangerous", the human female started, but, of course, Vinnie couldn't shut his over-productive mouth for at least less than ten seconds.  
"Dangerous? As in… life-threatening?", he cut her off eagerly, both his ears twitching in excitement.

Charley glanced at the white-furred mouse out of the corner of her eyes with a frown and then looked back at Throttle with a somehow questionable look on her face.  
The tan-furred mouse shrugged as he raised his hands in the air.  
"What can I say, he's a wild man."  
"We're all wondering how he has lived this long, Charley ma'am", Modo added and Charley looked back at Vinnie, who was still waiting for an answer, looking at her eagerly.  
But then, a somehow smug smile appeared on her face, as if she suddenly got an idea.  
"Life-threatening… Yeah… that's _exactly_ what I mean…", and she now looked at Throttle again.  
"We need to take advantage of their numbers."

The tan-furred leader shared a puzzled look with Modo before focussing his attention back on the human female.  
"What do you mean, take advantage of their numbers? I mean, how is being outnumbered even a benefit?"  
"Hey, we do our best work when…", Vinnie started to protest, _again_, and Throttle suddenly had it, so he gave his white-furred bro such a deadly glare that the mouse in question quickly ate the rest of his words and glanced up at the ceiling, twiddling his thumbs, looking all innocent.  
Throttle shook his head before looking at Charley again.  
"You were saying?"  
"Their numbers is their pitfall at the same time. Look, they came here because of the bounty, right?"  
When Throttle nodded, she continued.  
"As far as I know, there's only one price. Which means in turn that there can only be one winner. Do you really think that these people are willing to share the glory? To share the money? I don't think so. The fact that they're here says enough about what kind of people they are. Selfish. Handling in their own interest and in their own interest alone."  
"I'm not sure if I'm following you, Charley ma'am", Modo told her, giving her a confused look, but Throttle began to understand where she was getting at.  
"You want to turn them against each other", he guessed and Charley smiled.  
"Bingo. That correct answer puts you in the lead."

"Wait, what? How come he's in the lead? Does that mean I'm second place?", Vinnie immediately jumped at it, clearly having the feeling that his position was being threatened.  
So far for being quiet.  
Well, it was nice as long it lasted.  
Throttle also couldn't ignore the irony of Charley's comment, even though he was almost certain that she didn't mean anything by it.  
That wasn't who she was.  
Just like he knew that Vinnie didn't protest because of what happened on that roof last night, but simply because his ego didn't bear second place, no matter the context.  
_Man.  
_He could be so predictable sometimes.  
Next to tiring.  
"In a manner of speaking, Vinnie. Nothing more, nothing less", Charley sighed as she rolled her eyes, but Throttle could tell that she wasn't _really_ annoyed.  
And he wondered…  
Did she love him?

"And how are you planning to do that? Ya know, turning them against each other?", Modo asked, thereby forcing them all to focus on the conversation again.  
Charley shrugged.  
"All we need to do is get their attention and tell them."  
"And this is dangerous… how?", Vinnie grumbled as he folded his arms, clearly disappointed.  
Throttle couldn't help but agree with his young bro, even though he wasn't planning on saying that out loud.  
Perhaps humans had a different picture of _'dangerous' _than they had.  
But Charley wasn't done yet.  
"Because we need to make sure that we have their undivided attention…"  
"Undivided, 'ey?", Vinnie repeated, rubbing his chin.

But before he could come up with a plan that probably involved a lot of explosions, Charley quickly continued as that somehow smug smile reappeared on her face again.  
"Before I'll tell you guys the plan, this… _dangerous _plan, I need a volunteer…"  
_Ah_.  
Throttle now knew what she was doing and he couldn't stop himself from smiling, for it was clear that she was starting to understand how to handle the white-furred adrenaline junkie.  
And it worked.  
Of course, it did.  
This was exactly how to make that loudmouth do what you wanted because simply telling him what to do usually had the opposite effect.  
This time was no different.  
He took the bait without blinking.  
_Predictable indeed._

"Me! Pick me!", Vinnie yelled overexcited, bouncing on his feet as if he had springs under them, wildly waving his hand.  
"Okay. I guess we have a winner…", Charley shrugged nonchalant, as if she hadn't planned this to happen at all and Throttle's respect for her grew even bigger, as far as that goes.  
_What a woman…  
_"Yes! I won! But why am I even surprised? Of course, I did! I always win! Aaaooww, this is gonna be _epic_!", the white-furred youngster babbled to himself, hyper as a Memphant having a blood rush.  
"So what do you have in mind, Charley ma'am?", Modo asked curiously, his heavy voice raised to get over Vinnie's chattering and the human female smiled.  
"Well, our beloved volunteer here is going to make sure that he has everyone's attention…"  
"How? Explosions? Torture? An old-school fist fight? Do tell!", Vinnie almost demanded as he looked at her expectantly.  
Kind of like a kid who was about to get a treat.  
It was almost cute.  
"Or maybe a firefight? Or a race? Or…"  
"By letting yourself get caught", Charley interrupted him and Throttle almost choked in his water by seeing the look on Vinnie's face, which was absolutely priceless.  
This was _not_ what he had in mind, that just became painfully clear.

"Say _what_?! No way! Do you have any idea what that will do to my machismo rating?", the young mouse protested, his two-colored eyes still wide open in shock.  
"Hey macho mouse, you volunteered, remember?", Charley retorted and Vinnie slumped down on his home-made bed, knowing he'd backed himself into a corner.  
"Ah man, me and my big mouth..."  
But Charley sat down next to him and patted him on the back.  
"Don't worry, Vin, I promise you will have your moment of fame. Now, all of you, listen carefully. Here's what we're gonna do…"

_**...**_

"_Letting yourself get caught_, ugh, unbelievable. Is she for real? Honestly, it can't get any uncooler than this", Vinnie muttered under his breath as he pushed his bike up the stairs to the roof.  
He had suggested _driving_ up, but even that small detail hadn't fit into this alleged master plan of Charley, because she wanted to use the element of surprise while they still could.  
So here he was, working up a sweat to get his beloved bike up to the roof, only to let himself get caught soon after he made his presence known.  
This was officially the worst day of his life.  
He really needed to learn to control that big mouth of his.  
It tended to get him in situations he didn't want to be in.  
Such as this one, for instance.

"Man, death to that Limburger clown for putting a price on our heads. _Letting yourself get caught._ Pfuh. I'm way too cool for this. _You'll get your moment of fame._ Right. Gosh, women. They can be so fucking frustrating sometimes", he continued his little grumble session as he took the last stairs.  
When she promised he would get his moment of fame, he didn't expect it to be the small moment before he would let the enemy catch him.  
The only reason why he was allowed to let himself go -and _only_ for a short matter of time- was because this whole thing needed to be as credible as possible, Charley's words.  
When he told her that letting himself get caught was light years away from his definition of credibility, she had only shrugged in response with a somehow apologetic look on her face.

And to make things even worse, his bro's had agreed with this plan without blinking.  
Throttle even had the nerve to tell him that it was the only thing that could work right now.  
_Right_.  
As if.  
They were trained soldiers, for fuck sake.  
They could handle a crowd such as this one.  
Heck, half of these people were amateurs, for all he knew.  
But Throttle had remained adamant.  
Their priority was to get to California as soon as possible and, quote; _'not picking a fight with the local residents.'  
__  
Ugh_.  
The guy was whipped, that's for sure.  
His feelings for Charley had made him soft.  
At least, that's what he concluded once the tan-furred mouse went along with Charley's plan without hesitation.  
Which was weird and stupid.  
Because as far as he knew, the '_local_ _residents'_ were the ones who picked a fight with _them _by following them and backing them into a corner.  
And look what that brought him.  
Didn't that make _him_ the victim here?

But, of course, Throttle had ordered him to do his part, knowing perfectly well that not even he could ignore a direct order, despite what it would do to his precious reputation.  
Story of his life.  
No one ever really understood him.  
They didn't understand that his reputation was kind of all he had, at this point.  
They had no idea what would happen to him if that crumbled into dust, too, just like everything else.  
Like _everyone _else.  
He needed it to feel alive.  
But apparently, no one knew.  
No one understood.

A small voice in the back of his head pointed out the fact that he never explained it to them either, but he wildly shook his head in return.  
Of course, he didn't.  
They would laugh at him.  
They would know how weak he actually was.  
He would rather die than explain it to them.  
To tell them how this war fucked with his head.  
_Stop.  
_That's far enough, macho mouse.  
Enough with the self-reflection.  
It didn't exactly make things better.  
_Just think happy thoughts.  
_Like he always did when dark thoughts such as these threatened to take over.

Heaving an excessively loud sigh, he took the last steps of the stairs, trying very hard to think all happy happy joy joy, but his brain just didn't cooperate today.  
Because he now realized that thanks to all this shit, he was unable to settle the score with that annoying mysterious biker.  
The very one who had bruised his beloved ego more than he liked to admit.  
The one who had trapped him like a rat.  
_Rats…  
_He hated rats.  
_Everyone_ hated rats.  
And still, that knucklehead had trapped him like one.  
That made it personal.  
Because trapping him like a rat was the same as attacking his self-defense system which he had so carefully constructed in order to survive this crazy and fucked up world.  
He needed to pay for that.  
Big time.

But no…  
Nobody cared about all this.  
They just decided that it wasn't important.  
That it was just his ego speaking.  
Little did they know.  
Even Modo, who was supposed to be his ally in this, had agreed with the rest.  
Vinnie still couldn't wrap his brilliant mind around it.  
As far as he knew, the attack on Modo was just as personal as on him, for it had damaged his super mucho holy moly bike.  
And yet, he'd agreed with Throttle without blinking his one eye.  
_Aarrggghh.  
_This was most frustrating and that was an understatement.  
He just wanted to go home.  
To go back and fight the war he knew so well.  
The war in which he grew up.  
Here, everything was different.  
And he _hated_ it.  
Some parts excluded, of course.  
_Of course, hehe._

Just when he reached out to the door that led to the roof, a certain thought made him suddenly stop.  
What if that biker was the one who caught him?  
_Again?  
_Could he really bear another defeat such as that one?  
The answer to that question was quite simple, actually.  
_No fucking way.  
_So he vowed to himself, right here, right now, that when that happened, he was going to say _'fuck you' _to this whole plan that wasn't even a plan but a humiliation.  
To Charley.  
To Modo.  
Even to Throttle.  
When that happened, he would unleash hell on that biker, no matter what and no matter the consequences.  
No one was allowed to mess with him like that and get away with it.  
_No one._

Still with a face like thunder, he pulled back his hand and used his foot instead to kick the door open.  
When he entered the roof, his two-colored eyes immediately darted to the place where he'd shared this… _satisfying_ night with a certain human being.  
It already felt like a lifetime ago.  
Of course, it did.  
Whenever he felt only so much of a pang of happiness, something happened and _WHAM_.  
All gone.  
_Man_, he was cranky.  
He even managed to surprise himself, for it was nothing like him to be like this.  
To be so negative.  
Usually, he kept his head up, no matter what.  
But being on this planet was beginning to take its toll.

He didn't regret what happened last night, heck, he would do it all again.  
In fact, it _was_ going to happen again, he just knew.  
But man, he felt bad.  
He never thought that he would, but he did.  
It was like he was torn apart between his loyalty and this unexplainable need to be with her.  
His loyalty to Throttle was undivided and infinite, at least, that's what he liked to tell himself.  
Last night proved otherwise, after all.  
He thought it wouldn't affect him, but it did.  
He actually felt… _guilty_.  
And yet, he knew he wasn't able to stop it.

Because truth be told, he was already yearning for her in a way that just wasn't healthy.  
Gosh, all he wanted was to skip this entire day.  
To just fast-forward to the moment when the moon had replaced the sun.  
When his bro's were fast asleep.  
So he could drag Charley with him and fuck her brains out.  
_Okay.  
_That just sounded downright terrible, even for him.  
Well, it was clear, succinct and to the point.  
_Yeah, but still, man.  
__A little respect never hurt anyone.  
_Maybe.  
_…_  
Okay, okay.  
He just wanted to have sexual intercourse with her.  
Better?  
_Uh, yeah...  
__I guess…_

Anyway, it was important to make sure that Throttle would never find out.  
It would break his heart, he just knew.  
In the meantime, he needed to find a way to stop this.  
Throttle was right, it wasn't worth it.  
His bro's were his family, they were all who he had left.  
He couldn't betray one of them like this.  
But deep down he knew that stopping this was like mission impossible, simply because he was known for having less self-control and discipline.  
And it just so happened to be that it were these exact two qualities one needed to possess in order to stop this madness now it still could.  
_Holy-fuck-a-moly, what a mess._

Still softly muttering under his breath, he mounted his bike.  
It was time to get this show on the road.  
The sooner it was all over, the better.  
The rest of his problems would still be there when this was done, but probably looking less complicated after checking this one off the list.  
Perhaps he would be even capable to think happy thoughts again after all this.  
_Uhu.  
__Right.  
_Ignoring that annoying little voice, he closed his visor and started his engine.  
"Alright, you motorcycle madman, let's rock and ride", he said flatly to himself in a weak attempt to cheer himself up, but a pang of anger suddenly made his tail lash through the air.  
"Oh no, wait… you can't! It's more like let's rock and get caught! Yeah… Let's rock and get caught and be humiliated thanks to that big mouth of yours that brought you in this situation, like always, you just never think, you never doandnowyoure_FUCKED_!"

To add even more power to his words, he slammed his fist on his bike, who beeped angrily in return and the pain in his hand brought him back to reality.  
_Ahum_.  
Perhaps that was a bit... _too much.  
_Maybe, but it felt extremely satisfying at the same time.  
Still a bit out of breath after his outburst, he rubbed his sore knuckles with a frown on his face before he leaned forward and grabbed his handlebars in a tight grip.  
He needed to stop with this shit.  
It was time to make the best of it, like he always did.  
_Put on a happy face.  
_And just forget about the rest.  
Lock it all away and keep it there.  
Alongside the rest of the darkness in his troubled mind.  
Like he always did.  
And that's that.


	26. Chapter 26

You guys...

Thank you so much for the reviews.  
Your continued support means the world.

Fun fact: I started writing in December 2017 and after a quick calculation, I can proudly tell you that I've uploaded 950.365 words on this site ever since, this chapter excluded.  
Crazy huh?  
Well, trust me, I couldn't have done it without you.  
So that number shows how important your support is to me.

I'm sorry it took me this long to update this story, I had a huge writer's block, but I'll get back to that in a bit.  
Next to that, I was also busy with writing my other story, Lost In The Echo.  
Writing two stories takes a lot of time and they both deserve my full attention, so... yeah, it sometimes takes a bit longer before I'm able to update.  
I'm sorry.

_**Wolftattoo;**_ Whoa, it's amazing how many ideas you have for this story.  
Know that I read them all.  
I'm not sure if I'm gonna use one of them, for I already have the entire storyline mapped out in my head and I'm gonna stick with that, for now.  
But please, don't let that stop you from giving your ideas and opinion. It's always very much appreciated and perhaps there is something I can use in the future, who knows, huh?  
And I love it to hear that you're gonna write your own story!  
Good luck, my friend, and I can't wait to read it once it's ready.

_**Margarite987re**_; Perhaps it's a bit late to say this, for it's almost a month ago now, but I'm sorry to hear that you had a day of anxiety and panic.  
I know how this can control your life.  
I hope you're doing a bit better now.  
I wanna use this moment to thank you for your support, it means the world.

The same goes for _**SpaceFlora**_, one of my most loyal reviewers.  
You have no idea how your support helps me to keep going, really, there are times when I just wanna throw my laptop out of the window and give up, but then I think of your kind words and that is enough for me to stop myself from doing something stupid like throwing a laptop out of the window and to keep doing what I love, namely; writing about these three furry heroes.  
So thank you.

As for the rest, know that I'm grateful for every review, like, follow or view.  
THANK YOU!

_**Important note below!  
**_So, about that writer's block...  
I'm sorry if I'm talking too much, but it's important for me to explain this before you're going to read this chapter.

Sometimes, I have an idea that sounds so wonderful in my head, until I put it into writing.  
Because then, it suddenly becomes painfully clear that this particular idea sucks as soon as it leaves my head.  
That isn't always a problem, for I just come up with something else and rewrite the chapter until I'm satisfied enough to put it online.  
Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that I already revealed the tip of the iceberg in the previous chapter, that is -of course- already online, which gives me limited space to change course.

Well, that happened with this supposedly master-plan of Charley.  
As soon as I started to work out the details, I couldn't stop laughing about the stupidity of this plan.  
Really, it's beyond dumb.  
This is also the reason why it took me so long to update, for I was trying super hard to come up with something else.  
That failed.  
Obviously.

So, since I was sick and tired of being stuck at this point in the story, I've decided to just leave it this way.  
But I really wanna say this; please don't take the first part of this chapter too seriously.  
It's silly and unrealistic, even for a story that's about aliens and other unnatural shit, hehe.

Ah well.  
That's all folks.  
Enjoy this chapter, despite the first part (XD), and feel free to leave a review once you're done.  
But no pressure, of course.

Till next time, my loyal readers!  
Later!

* * *

**Chapter 26**

Vinnie parked the front tire of his bike on the side of the roof and looked down.  
Even though it was just a small town, it had now had the hustle and bustle of a big city and the white-furred mouse shook his head in disbelief.  
This was crazy, even for his standard.  
The things people did for money…  
Clearly, it didn't matter what planet you came from.  
It was the same everywhere.

However, the atmosphere was grim, almost sinister.  
Some of them were yelling at each other, with a few it even nearly came to blows and the white-furred youngster couldn't help himself but conclude that Charley was right.  
There were simply too many players on the field and oh boy, they were far from amused.  
Still, this whole plan of hers didn't come even _near_ to how he would handle things, but okay…  
That's beside the point now.  
He had his orders.  
And he had to follow them.  
_Ugh.  
_Sometimes this life was just no fun.

As he watched them, he quickly noticed that no one had the presence of mind to look up, even though they were all searching the buildings and abandoned homes with a determination that even he admired, whether he liked it or not.  
They really had no idea who they were up against, huh?  
Otherwise, they would've looked up.  
But they didn't.  
_Amateurs_.

Ah well.  
Time to stir things up a little bit.  
After heaving a sigh, he inhaled and whistled between his teeth to make his presence known.  
"Hey, suckers! Looking for something? Like… _trouble _maybe?"  
Everyone within a circle of approximately 500 yards immediately stopped with what they were doing.  
Some of them even looked up.  
_Wow_.  
Shocking.

But not everyone was on point, because the majority of the people were looking around them a bit bewildered, clearly having no idea where that _'magical'_ voice came from.  
Vinnie even caught one raising his arms, looking at his armpits, as if it was perfectly logical for the voice to come from there and the young mouse rolled his eyes as he leaned forward on his bike, resting his helmeted head in his right hand.  
"_Honestly…_ Up here, numbnuts…"  
That worked and they all looked up a bit dazed, the guy who had searched under his arms now with a head as red as a fully grown Martian Tommy Tomato.  
With good reason.  
Holy shit, the guy was dumb, alright.  
_Shame on him. _

Either way, when he finally had everyone's attention, Vinnie waved at them as he gave them a nod to welcome them one by one.  
"Hi, hey there, hi, hello, hi, good to see ya…"  
As if he was hosting a party and was about to give a speech.  
Would that it were, dammit.  
What on Mars was he doing anyway?  
_Good question.  
_He cleared his throat and quickly lowered his hand, cursing himself for being this distracted.  
Again_.  
_Sometimes it was just so tiring to be him.  
_Excuuuuse me?!  
_Ugh, come on!  
Focus!  
_For once in you're goddamned life, just... focus.  
_He had a job to do.  
Pronto.  
The sooner this was over, the better.

As he closed his visor, he quickly glanced at the building in the distance, only to see that the mysterious biker hadn't moved yet.  
Good.  
Very good _indeed_.  
He looked back at the people on the street, who were starting to get a bit anxious.  
Well, they weren't the only ones.  
After revving his bike, he popped a wheelie.  
"Well, fella's, I believe the phrase is; catch me if you can."  
And he fired his jets and jumped off the building.  
When his tires hit the ground, he expected the so-called bounty hunters to attack and he almost sped away, but right before he opened the gas, he noticed that no one moved.  
_Hm_.

He let go of his handlebars and opened his visor to take a good look around him.  
Everyone was staring back at him with their jaws dropped and Vinnie frowned in confusion.  
Why on Mars were they looking at him like that?  
Of course, it wasn't the first time that his stunning and breathtaking appearance left people speechless.  
But somehow, the timing was off.  
Weren't they supposed to hunt him down and catch him to get rich?  
Wasn't that the only thing that mattered to them?  
Well, here he was, in his full and handsome glory.  
Then why didn't they do something?

But when his two-colored eyes darted over the crowd, he suddenly realized what was going on here, for some of them weren't staring at _him_ but at his bike.  
_Ah.  
_Jumping off buildings with a bike _probably_ wasn't exactly common on this planet called Earth.  
_So boring.  
_These people clearly had no idea how to have some fun.

Since he needed them to come into movement first to make this plan work, Vinnie decided to wait until they were done with looking like fools.  
But damn, they took their time.  
As he scratched his side, he suppressed a big yawn that bubbled up out of nowhere.  
The lack of sleep was starting to take its toll, obviously.  
The few hours sleep he had last night hadn't been enough to replenish his energy level back to normal.  
Not even while the steaming hot sex had chased away his restlessness for at least a few hours.

Man, if he wasn't going to see some action soon, he would fall asleep, right here, right now.  
It was as if the guy on his left could read his mind, because he was the first to recover from whatever it was that had turned him into a state of shock and now started his way towards Vinnie with determination written upon his face.  
He was probably already thinking about all the things he could do with the money.  
Poor fool.  
He had no idea where he was getting himself into.

As the guy came closer, the young mouse suppressed another big yawn right on time and he gave himself an inner scolding.  
_Come on, macho mouse.  
_This whole freakshow was supposed to be credible, remember?  
_Right…  
_At first, Vinnie had planned on driving away to play a little cat and mouse game before he would let them catch him, but given the stupidity of these humans, he now changed his plan.  
After all, even if he would drive away in first gear he would probably still be too fast for them to catch him.

So, he only _pretended_ to drive away, but his right index finger pushed a small button hidden behind the handlebar and the engine of his beloved bike shut down, including a few splutters to make the whole thing -yes *_sigh*_\- credible.  
"Oh, no… stalled", the young mouse called out flatly, grabbing his helmeted head in played panic, but before he could say more, the guy had reached him and dragged him off his bike.  
"Got ya, moussie", a raw voice breathed close to his head and Vinnie wrinkled his nose in annoyance.  
Oh man, his hands were itching to just punch the man out cold, but he managed to control himself.  
_That's a first…_

He did try to escape, though.  
At half power, that is.  
If he would use all his strength, the guy would probably be dead by now.  
_And oh boy, Throttle would kill him.  
_Soon, the man managed to turn his hands behind his back and he let out a triumphant laugh as he tied them with a rope.  
"You're gonna make me rich, pancake ears. Very rich."  
Suddenly, a familiar scent filled his nostrils and Vinnie glanced at the man from under his lashes, the left corner of his mouth curled up into a smug smile.  
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, dumbass."  
The man looked at him with question marks in his blue eyes, but before he could react, a tan-furred tail wrapped around his ankle and pulled his right foot out from under him.  
With a loud bang, the human fell face forward on the ground, slamming his head against the pavement and Vinnie pulled a face.  
"_Ouch_! That's gotta hurt, man."

Throttle walked over to the man and kneeled next to him.  
"_Geez_, buddy, are you okay?", he asked supposedly worried and he helped the man back on his feet, brushing off his shoulders.  
"That guy right there just tackled you…", and he pointed at a young guy that was standing close to them, who now did a few steps backward with his hands in front of his body, eyes as big as saucers.  
"_What_?! No, I didn't!"  
"He did. Looks to me like he wanted to steal your prisoner…", Throttle whispered the last part with his hand next to his mouth and a conspiring look on his face.  
The man wiped the blood off his nose as he looked at the younger guy with fuming eyes, making the latter only more nervous.  
"Now just wait a minute, I…", but before he could finish his sentence, the man already punched him in the face.  
"No one steals my prisoners!"

Vinnie was watching the scene with both amusement and disbelief.  
_Honestly…  
_Charley had pegged them right.  
These people had a brain the size of a Martian Wally Walnut.  
As he was still amazing himself that this whole plan of hers seemed to work after all, he suddenly felt a pair of hands grabbing his arms.  
He looked over his shoulder, straight into the face of the poor soul who tried to take advantage of this situation and now thought he was going to leave this town as a winner.

But out of nowhere, a bionic fist hit him on the right side of his head and the human stumbled a few passes before he looked behind him, rubbing his jaw.  
"It was him", Modo told him as he pointed at a random dude standing next to him.  
The man looked at Vinnie, who nodded violently.  
"Yep. Totally."  
Clenching his teeth, the man rolled up his sleeves as he glared at his fellow human being.  
"Stealing my bounty, huh? No way. He's mine!", and he launched himself at the poor guy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Soon, another man joined the small fight.  
"What are you talking about! He's mine!"  
"No, he's mine!", a third guy called out as he too joined in.  
And then a fourth man stepped in.  
And a fifth.  
And a sixth.  
And so it went on and soon, all hell broke loose.  
Vinnie, still with his hands tied behind his back, stepped aside to avoid a human landing on top of him and he shook his head with a smile.  
_Humans_.  
They were almost intriguing because of their stupidity.

Suddenly, he felt another hand on his shoulder, but this time it was his beloved bro and leader.  
"Nice performance, bro", Throttle smiled as he cut the rope around Vinnie's hands.  
"Hey, did you doubt? I mean, remember what they used to call me back on Mars?", the white-furred mouse asked with one of his trademark arrogant smiles on his face, rubbing his wrists.  
But before Throttle could answer the question, Modo beat him to it as he popped up next to them with a bionic finger in the air, leaning with his other arm on Throttle's shoulder.  
"Class Goof Off."  
Vinnie frowned and blinked a few times in confusion, but Throttle already continued.  
"Motor Mouth…"  
"...Cheese for Brain…"  
"...Vinnie the Ninny…"

"No, no, not those!", the white-furred youngster cut them off a bit insulted and he raised both hands.  
"I mean; _Mister Make-Belief_", he whispered theatrically, moving his hands in the air as if he drew a rainbow, a solemn look on his face.  
Modo and Throttle stared at him for a moment before they shared a look.  
"I don't remember that. You remember that?", the grey-furred giant asked his tan-furred bro out of the corner of his mouth.  
The latter rubbed his chin, but then shrugged  
"Nah, never heard of it, the boy's delusional."  
Vinnie, who was still standing with his hands in the air, now folded his arms as he glared at his two bro's.  
"Well, they did."

A sudden movement caught Modo's eye and when he saw what it was, he quickly stepped forward and pushed his young bro aside.  
But of course, as usual, he used too much force and Vinnie stumbled a few passes before he tripped over his tail and landed on the pavement with a loud thump.  
"_Modo_!", he called out outraged, but then a man landed on the place where he had been standing just seconds ago and he blinked a few times in surprise.  
"Whoops, sorry, little bro, but it's raining men…", Modo quickly apologized, pointing at the unconscious human on the ground before offering his young bro a hand.  
"Hallelujah…", Vinnie sighed tiredly as he took it.  
When he was back on his feet, Throttle snapped his fingers as he quickly did a step backward to avoid another human that flew through the air.  
"Let's bail, bro's, before we're gonna get absolutely soaking wet."  
"Amen to that."

"Ya know, I don't know why, but this somehow sounds so catchy. They should _definitely _make a song out of it", Vinnie smiled as they tiptoed to their bikes, for once as quiet as mice.  
But the people around them were so caught up in defending their price that they didn't even notice that the same price was now getting away and the white-furred mouse shook his head, still with a smile plastered on his face.  
_Suckers._

_**…**_

Charley was waiting for them at the border of the town and when the three mice joined her, she started her bike.  
"I guess it all worked out like it was supposed to, huh?", she asked with a smile when they drove away.  
"Even better. I still can't believe that just worked", Throttle chuckled before he looked her straight in the eye.  
"That was good thinking, babe."  
Too late he noticed that his voice was a bit too hoarse, perhaps.  
That his gaze was a bit too intense, despite the glasses.  
Charley seemed to notice it as well, because her cheeks turned red as she turned her gaze the other way.  
"It was nothing."  
_Hm.  
_Her reaction made things even more confusing than they already were and he wondered...  
_What on Mars was going on inside that complicated head of hers? _

"Come on, sweetheart, now you're just being modest. Your plan rocked, big time", Vinnie told her happily as he popped a wheelie, obviously forgotten that he at first had hated this plan with everything he had in him.  
_Nothing new.  
_"So you _do _know the meaning of the word modest", Modo called out supposedly surprised before he gave Charley a warm and friendly smile, thereby giving his white-furred bro no time to react.  
"But yeah, good strategy, Charley ma'am."

"Oh, you guys… We were just lucky that these people ain't exactly the brightest lights in the universe", Charley waved it away, but Throttle could tell that their compliments did her good.  
_Good.  
_She deserved it.  
"Ha! That's what I like to call an understatement", Vinnie chuckled, but then an arrogant glance flickered across his face.  
"But let's face it, lady and gentlemice, without my _outstanding_ performance, it wouldn't have worked out as well as it did."

Throttle leaned on his handlebars as he rolled his eyes, but then a soft zooming sound caught his attention and he looked over his shoulder.  
When he saw what was coming, he turned the wheel without thinking and used his bike to force Charley to the left side of the road.  
"Throttle, what…", she started, but her front tire slipped off the road and she needed all her focus to stop herself from falling.  
In the meantime, the tan-furred leader swirled back to the right and opened his mouth to warn his bro's, but he was too late, for all of this happened in just a fraction of a second.

Something heavy knocked them off their bikes and pinned them down to the ground, along with their beloved rides.  
"Ah man, not _again_!", Vinnie called out as soon as he realized what was happening and his hands clawed the net that was holding them down.  
"Guess not everyone fell for your _'outstanding_ _performance'_, bro", Modo grumbled as he tried to get up, but not even he was strong enough to get the net into movement.  
Not this time.  
"Everyone's a critic", Vinnie muttered under his breath, the tip of his tail twitching in dismay when he realized that he, _again_, was caught by that obnoxiously annoying biker.  
"And they say that a Memphant never gets caught twice in the same snare… What about Martian Mice, huh? _Dammit_."

"Guys, guys, are you okay?"  
Throttle's body relaxed a bit when he heard Charley's voice and he turned his head to the right as well as possible, to see the human girl rushing towards them with her helmet still on.  
"We're just chilling, sweetheart. Wanna join?", Vinnie added with a low voice and even from this highly uncomfortable position, Throttle was perfectly able to see the blush on her face.  
It made him even more confused and therefore cranky than he already was and he did another attempt to get rid of this damned net, but a sharp pain made him pull back his hands as if the net was on fire and he looked at his thumb.  
A deep cut looked back, blood already dripping out and with a little effort, he put his thumb in his mouth to suck out the blood before it would drip all over him.

Meanwhile, Charley was already pulling on the side of the net, but she soon seemed to realize that it was a waste of energy and she dropped down on the asphalt, breathing heavily after this major effort.  
Throttle felt a certain restlessness entering his body, telling him that he didn't like the way she was sitting there, all in the open.  
It made her an easy target and the thought alone that someone would hurt her while he was lying helplessly on the ground made him almost explode out of his fur.  
"Charley, go find a place to hide. This mysterious biker clown isn't a joke and I don't want you near here once he decides to show his face again."

But instead of standing up and do as he said, her green eyes grew big and she violently shook her head.  
"Not without you guys, I'm not. Maybe you can use the bikes to get out?", she suggested as she pointed at the impressive machines on wheels lying near them under the net.  
"No can do. They're dead again", Modo answered that question, anger clearly hearable in his voice.  
Right after the net had pinned him down to the ground, he had seen his bike flashing her headlight before the engine died.  
"I think the AI blocker is now processed in the net. In fact, the whole net seems to be improved. This person obviously learns from his mistakes. For now, we're sitting ducks, so are you, Charley ma'am. Throttle is right, you need to find a place to hide."

Throttle kept a close eye on Charley and he saw her opening her mouth to protest when suddenly his ears caught the one sound he _so_ didn't want to hear right now.  
An approaching vehicle.  
Charley clearly heard it as well, for she looked up with narrowed eyes and the tan-furred mouse knew her well enough to know she was up to something.  
"Charley, get yourself to safety, now", he ordered without thinking as his breathing already accelerated again.  
"But I can't just leave you here! You heard Modo, you're sitting ducks here", Charley protested, but Throttle wasn't in the mood for contradiction.  
"We'll figure something out. Now, go!"

The sharp tone in his voice seemed to do the trick, because she scrambled back on her feet.  
But right before she disappeared out of his line of vision, he saw a glance in her eyes that could only mean trouble and he clenched his teeth, cursing himself for being surrounded by people who were just too stubborn for their own good.  
"So, now what, fearless leader? I suggest you come with a plan, because I can't be killed. There are still races to be won, girls who haven't met me…", Vinnie told his bro's, who both heaved a sigh at the same time.

"More to the point, mister _'Make-Belief'_, our friends are depending on us", Modo pointed out the obvious, needing to raise his already heavy voice to make himself hearable over the sound of the engine that became louder and louder as the mysterious biker came closer to them.  
"Oh yeah, that too", the white-furred mouse nodded in agreement, as if he hadn't thought about that at all.  
Well, knowing him, he probably hadn't.  
Throttle always told him to get his priorities straight, but since when did that loudmouth actually listen to him, huh?

Either way, they had bigger problems than Vinnie's messed-up definition of priorities, because the sound of shrieking brakes now sounded close to them and Throttle lifted his head as far as the net let him to see the mysterious biker stopping at their feet, only inches away from the net.  
Vinnie was right about one thing though.  
He needed to come up with a plan, and fast too.  
But the thing was, he had no idea what to do.  
The bikes were dead, the net was made of Plutarkian Fiber Steel, meaning it was practically indestructible and then there was the minor detail that they were still pinned down with hardly any room for manoeuvre.  
There was only one thing to do, for it was plain to see that _fighting _their way out was a total no go.  
_Talk_.  
He needed to talk to buy them some time, in the hope his brain would come up with something useful while he was at it.

"So we meet again", Throttle therefore opened the conversation, racking his brain to come up with the million-dollar plan to get them out of this precarious situation at the same time.  
Well, he could simply _ask_ him to let them go.  
Politely of course.  
"Why don't you let us go so we can talk about this like civilized people, huh?"  
The biker tilted his head in return, clearly surprised by this question.  
Throttle couldn't blame him though.  
When being on another planet, never call yourself _'civilized people'_.  
Not when it's painfully obvious that it is _you_ who is the alien_.  
__Stupid. _

But then there was Vinnie, who was always able to make things even worse.  
Really, it was a talent.  
"Fuck talking. Fuck civilized people. Let me go and I promise ya, I'll kick the shit out of ya!", the young mouse growled, already pulling on the net again.  
He was obviously not amused by the fact that this biker had managed to catch him twice in two days and for once, Throttle could understand where he was coming from.  
Still, they weren't exactly in the position to make threats.

He was convinced that Modo knew that as well, but like mentioned before, when it came to his bike, all bets were off.  
"You messed with my bike. And when someone messes with my bike, they mess with _me_. So when I'm getting out of here, and I will, _you_ better run. Run and hide…"  
His already heavy voice sounded a few octaves lower, making the message very, very clear.

But the biker didn't seem to be impressed, neither did he take the bait.  
He slowly stepped off his bike and pulled  
something out of his leg holster, something that looked a lot like a stun gun.  
Strangely enough, that was the first good news they had in days, for it told Throttle that the biker needed them alive.  
Unconscious, yes, but alive nevertheless.  
But unfortunately, where there was good news, there was also bad news.  
To keep the balance.  
And the bad news was that if this bounty hunter managed to knock them out, the consequences would be incalculable.  
Charley would be alone in this world where danger was lurking around every corner.  
Their friends would be lost and so was Earth.  
Enough reason to get the hell out of here, but his brain just didn't cooperate and to his utter shock, he saw the biker now aiming the taser at Modo.

_Hm.  
_This wasn't going very well.  
They weren't exactly in control of the situation, a thing Throttle hated to the core.  
But right before the biker pulled the trigger, a voice coming from their right made him look up.  
Well, it made them _all_ look up, actually.  
"Why don't you pick on somebody your own size, huh?"  
_Charley_.  
Throttle's heart skipped a beat when he saw the human woman standing there with a bazooka casually resting on her shoulder, her green eyes almost burning with determination.  
That couldn't be good.  
And where the hell did that bazooka come from anyway?

_Oh, come on.  
__Ask a stupid question.  
_There was only one person in this company that carried enough weapons around to blow up this whole planet.  
Someone with a slightly disturbing obsession with everything that created a big boom.  
_Vinnie.  
_Yep.  
If they were lucky enough to make it out of this alive, he was going to kill his white-furred bro for giving Charley a weapon this deadly.  
Unfortunately, for now, all he could do was lying here and throw up a Hail Mary that the human female would soon realize that this was beyond her capabilities and that hiding wasn't such a bad idea after all.

But Charley clearly had other plans.  
_Of course.  
_She was even more stubborn than their beloved white-furred adrenaline junkie, a thing he had never thought possible.  
But here she was.  
"Or maybe even better said, somebody that isn't tied up. I mean, seriously, where's your honor?", the human female continued sweetly as she put her right foot on one of the poles that kept the net in its place.  
She did have a point though.  
There was no honor in shooting somebody that was tied up whatsoever.  
Not even with a taser.

But Throttle wished that she would just walk away before things were going to get ugly.  
And looking at the biker, that wasn't going to take long, even though he just stood there, completely motionless.  
It was that particular fact that made the tan-furred mouse even more nervous, for they already had the not so pleasant pleasure to experience that this man was a _whole_ other level than the knuckleheads they had left behind in the small town and Throttle wasn't sure if Charley knew where she was getting herself into.  
Well, actually, he was for about ninety-nine percent sure that she was absolutely clueless.  
Otherwise, she wouldn't be standing there, provoking this mysterious and dangerous man who wore black clothes and drove a black bike.

And suddenly, he couldn't hold himself back any longer.  
"Charley, why don't you…", he started, but at the same time, the biker aimed the stun gun at her and this time, there was no hesitation.  
No time to think.  
No, he just squeezed the trigger in one smooth movement and Throttle's eyes grew big as his heart skipped a few beats when he saw the electric threads glisten in the sun as they made their way towards the human female who had captured his heart from the moment he had laid eyes on her.  
But it soon became painfully clear that he was underestimating this human creature with her marvelous green eyes, because she leaped to her right with an elegance which a Martian Gally Gazelle would be jealous of.

The electric threads missed her by a hair, but one of the ends still managed to make contact with the bazooka which she was still holding in her hands.  
The moment the electricity spread via the metal of the deadly weapon, she threw it away as if it was on fire and it landed in a couple of bushes at the side of the road.  
Slowly, she got back upright, her green eyes close to spitting fire as she looked at the biker with her mouth in a tight line.  
_Okay.  
__Note to myself; wherever you are, whatever you do… __**never**__ take her bazooka.  
_It was obvious that she didn't like that.  
Oh no, she didn't like that at all.

But the biker was, again, not impressed and he reached out to the lower pockets of his black biker pants.  
Throttle kept a close eye on him, trying to predict his movements so he could warn Charley if necessary and when he saw another glint, his stomach made about ten backflips.  
_Knives_.  
"Charley, get the hell out of here, now!", he yelled at her, already struggling to get free again, his blood boiling by only seeing someone who wanted to hurt the person that had managed to rock his usually steady foundation.  
But much to his annoyance, she ignored him, her gaze still fixated on the biker.  
Despite her clothes, he could see every tensed muscle in her body, as if she braced herself for what was to come.  
Perhaps she did.  
_Why though?  
_Why didn't she just walk away?

It was then that the biker decided to attack and he ran towards Charley, holding a hunting knife in each hand and Throttle felt the sudden urge to close his eyes, for he wasn't sure if he was able to watch this without getting a heart attack.  
But he didn't.  
And soon, he was glad he didn't.  
Because again, he underestimated her.  
And this time, she _really_ managed to surprise him.  
Because when the biker reached her and lashed out with his right hand, she quickly ducked and used her right leg to tackle him.  
With a loud thump, the man landed on his back on the dusty asphalt and he really should consider himself lucky for wearing a helmet, because his head slammed on the hard surface as well.

But he wasn't going to give up that easily and he already jumped back on his feet again.  
Charley pulled off her helmet and threw it away, her green eyes burning with anger and fortitude as she took in a basic fighting position.  
"Bring it on, helmet head."  
A shiver went down Throttle's spine when he heard her low voice, when he heard the threat that was clearly hearable and he couldn't stop himself from feeling a bit… _turned on.  
_He quickly gave himself a huge inner scolding, for it was nothing like him to react this way to a situation where lives were at risk.  
It startled him a bit, to be honest.  
But he just wasn't himself when he was around her, a thing that had already been painfully obvious.  
And she was just so… _breathtakingly beautiful.  
_Still.  
This was highly inappropriate.  
Even beyond that.

Either way, the biker didn't need to be asked twice and as soon as the last word left Charley's mouth, he attacked again, this time even faster.  
But Charley blocked every move he made with the speed of light and Throttle blinked a few times in both shock and admiration by seeing her smooth and powerful moves, now slowly understanding why she was able to survive out here for this long.  
By the looks of things, she was right.  
She was right all along.  
She didn't need them to protect her.  
She was perfectly capable to protect herself.  
Great Moons of Mars, she was like a ninja.  
And it made her even more interesting, a thing he never thought possible.  
_What a woman…_

Charley was, of course, completely unaware of what was going through Throttle's head right now, a thing he was grateful for.  
It would probably distract her and she needed all her focus to stop herself from getting stabbed.  
She was still blocking the biker's moves, but the latter was persistent.  
Beyond that.  
Even Carbine paled in comparison to him and she was like the definition of persistence.  
And even though Charley was able to ward off his steady and forceful attacks, she wasn't exactly in control of the fight.  
Being in control was a key ingredient to winning, Throttle knew that all too well, but he bit his lower lip to stop himself from interfering.  
She deserved his trust.  
This was her fight and hers alone.  
She obviously knew what she was doing.  
All he had to do now was give her the chance to prove him right.

And so she did, for she suddenly changed her tactics and grabbed the right hand of the biker by the wrist.  
When he lashed out his left hand, she managed again to wrap her fingers around the wrist before the knife could hurt her.  
After placing her thumbs on the inner wrists, she tightened her grip, her teeth clenched.  
After a few seconds, the biker had no other choice than to let go of the knives and they landed on the asphalt with loud clattering.  
Eventually, the biker managed to yank himself free and he tried to grab Charley, but she now placed her right foot on his chest and pushed him away to create some distance.  
Without slowing down, she jumped in the air and with a twist, she kicked the mysterious man in the head.

Helmet or not, he wasn't up against the power that was hidden underneath this move and he went down like a house of cards again.  
But this time, he didn't get up.  
Charley landed back on her feet, breathing heavily and still on high alert as she kept a close eye on the biker, holding her hands in front of her with clenched fists.  
For a moment, all Throttle could do was stare at her, still wrapping his mind around the fact that she was, apparently, an expert in martial arts.  
Why she never told them was a mystery to him, but truth be told, this unexpected little demonstration wasn't exactly an unpleasant way to find out about her skills.  
_On the contrary._

It was Vinnie who eventually broke the slightly awkward silence.  
_No surprise there.  
_"Holy shit, Charley-girl, that was… that was just so wicked _hot_!"  
Next to the fact that this comment made him a bit annoyed, for it made her sound like she was nothing more than a sex object, Throttle caught himself agreeing with his overly enthusiastic bro, but he at least kept it to himself.  
In fact, he was completely speechless.  
That didn't happen that often.  
But it wasn't exactly a surprise that it was Charley who managed to pull it off.

Modo cleared his throat a bit uncomfortable.  
"Yeah, he's right, that was…", he started and Throttle glanced at him out of the corner of his eye with a frown, a bit surprised that the most chivalrous out of the three of them agreed with the least tactical one of their small but successful group.  
That was a highly rare thing to happen.  
But the grey-furred giant quickly seemed to realize what he was saying and his one eye grew big.  
"I mean, uh… What I mean is… Well… Ahum… I ah… That… That was one hell of a fight, Charley… ma'am", he stuttered as a blush spread under his grey fur.  
Throttle smiled as he listened to his rambling, knowing now that it was just the shock that had made him agree with Vinnie, for the big and loving mouse would never see a woman as only an object of desire.  
That just wasn't who he was.  
Unlike some of them…

Charley slowly came back to her senses when it was clear that the biker wasn't going to get up anytime soon and she lowered her hands as her body relaxed.  
She then looked at the mice with a little smile on her face.  
"I'm not sure why you guys are so surprised. I already told you that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."  
"Yeah, well, let's be honest, sweetheart. Every woman with a healthy dose of pride would say that. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's true", Vinnie pointed out.  
Charley shifted her weight to her right foot and rested her hand on her hip as she rolled her green eyes.  
"Typical men. They never listen."  
"Hm, I always thought it was the other way around", the white-furred mouse mused and Charley glared at him.  
"You still want me to free you? Because if you do, you better stop talking, right here, right now."

Throttle's right corner of his mouth curled up by hearing her sharp tone and when he glanced at his left, Vinnie's stunned face made him even more amused.  
And what do you know, he even listened to her.  
"That's what I thought", the human female mumbled as she made her way over to the black bike of the still unconscious man.  
"If I'm right, the net is powered by the bike. Now lemme see if I can turn it off…"  
"Sure, take your time, it's not that we…", Vinnie started, but he then seemed to remember what Charley had said to him only seconds ago and he quickly ate the rest of the words.  
"You never heard that. I'm still as quiet as a mouse. Yep. Definitely quiet.

"You mice have such a strange definition of being quiet, honestly…", Charley muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she pushed a few buttons on the dashboard of the bike.  
Soon thereafter, a few clicks were heard and the net loosened, giving the mice enough room to get upright.  
Modo turned around on his knees and pulled the net off of them.  
As soon as the indestructible material came loose from the bikes, they all three beeped loudly before starting their engine with flashing headlights.  
Modo was right.  
The AI blocker had been processed into the net.  
Smart, Throttle had to give the biker that.  
And another reason not to underestimate this mysterious person.

"How do you spell relief?", Vinnie sighed happily as he rubbed his chest, finally able to breathe properly again.  
"Well, that ain't hard, right? R-E-L-I-E-F", Modo spelled out loud with a frown, clearly not understanding why his white-furred bro would ask such a, in his eye, simple question.  
The young mouse hit his head with the palm of his hand in return.  
"It was a _rhetorical _question, big guy…"  
"Oh right… I knew that", Modo chuckled a bit sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.  
"Yeah, right. Seriously, who writes your lines?", Vinnie snickered, shaking his head.

Throttle chuckled as his gaze landed on Charley, who was still sitting on the black bike, looking at it with awe.  
"Where did you learn how to fight like that?", he asked curiously and she looked up at him, her green eyes sad all of a sudden.  
_Oh.  
_"Remember when I told you that my father was a man who liked to be prepared? Well, he taught me how to defend myself ever since I could walk. I guess I'm grateful that he did."  
"Well, I sure am", Vinnie meddled in their conversation as he made his way over to the still motionless biker.  
"I wouldn't have wanted to miss that show for a thing."  
When he passed Charley, he glanced at her from under his lashes and gave her one of his trademark smiles as he winked at her.  
Charley, in turn, bit her lower lip as she quickly turned her gaze away, a faint blush on her cheeks and Throttle suddenly got overwhelmed with that out of proportion and maddening anger again.

His tail lashed through the air as he already did a step into Vinnie's direction but a heavy hand landed on his shoulder before he could continue his warpath.  
He looked behind him, straight into the narrowed eye of his grey-furred bro.  
The warning look that was written upon his face was enough for him to snap back to reality and the anger vanished as quickly as it came.  
Shame took its place.  
"You promised, remember? No more fighting", Modo whispered softly and after a soft squeeze in his shoulder, he let the tan-furred mouse go.

Throttle pulled off his helmet before he ran a trembling hand through his hair, taking a few deep breaths to calm down again.  
Modo was right.  
He had patched things up with Vinnie.  
He had chosen Carbine.  
There was absolutely no reason to get into a fight with his youngest bro.  
_Wasn't there?  
_The image of what he had seen on the roof last night flashed before his eyes and he clenched his teeth, but before the anger had a real chance to come back again, it was now Vinnie who snapped him out of it, strangely enough.

That was simply because the white-furred mouse had now reached the unconscious biker and he kneeled next to him.  
"Welly well well, not so tough now, are ya?", and he reached out to the helmet.  
The rest also came closer, just as curious as him about who this person was.  
This person, who had given them nothing but trouble.  
"Now what do you have to hide behind that tinted visor of yours..."  
Vinnie's black fingerless gloved hand dislodged the small safety band under the biker's chin before he pulled off the helmet.  
Shortly thereafter, the helmet slipped out of his hands and fell on the asphalt with a loud thump, but no one really noticed.  
They were all staring at the biker with their jaws pretty much dropped on their knees.

Braided black hair.  
A thin face.  
An olive-colored and soft looking skin.  
A beauty mark right above the lip.  
Full lips.  
Ears full of piercings.  
And most importantly...

"So no woman has ever succeeded in taking you down, huh? Isn't _that_ what you said?", Charley broke the silence, being the first one to recover from the shock.  
Throttle felt his cheeks turn red in embarrassment, no, in fact, his whole body just caught fire as he stared at the mysterious biker, who was, _obviously_, a young woman.  
"Oh, momma... here we go…", Modo sighed in defeat.  
_You said it, big fella.  
__You said it. _


	27. Chapter 27

Hey you guys...

Thank you so much for the reviews.  
Glad to hear that you still liked the chapter, despite the silly part at the beginning.  
But I guess SpaceFlora is right, the show _did_ have a lot of these scenes.  
I must say, I enjoyed writing it, but it somehow felt a bit _too_ silly for this story, ya know?  
Then again, humor is a very important ingredient for every story, no matter how dark it is.  
Anyway, it's done and now it's time to move on.

Enjoy the next chapter!  
Feel free to leave a review once you're done, it always helps me, but no pressure, of course. :)

Later guys!

* * *

**Chapter 27**

"I uh… Ahum... Well, you just proved your point, Charley-girl", Throttle started as he still stared at the unconsciousness girl lying at his feet, scratching the back of his head a bit sheepishly.  
"I guess none of us should judge a book by its cover…"  
He then glanced at the human female, who was standing close to him with a big and smug smile on her face.  
"Obviously. _Ha_, the look on your faces is even better than I ever expected", she chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

It was so good to see her smile.  
And all of this suddenly didn't matter anymore.  
All that mattered was her smile.  
Her twinkling green eyes.  
That awful frown nowhere to be seen.  
And he knew; he would let himself be taken down by a woman every day if that meant he could see her smile again.  
_Man, he got it bad, alright. _

"So far for revenge…", Modo mumbled a bit disappointed as he sat down on his bike, his bionic fingers rubbing the scratches on the side.  
But no matter how much it hurt him to see the damage, he couldn't make the one responsible pay.  
Not anymore.  
She was a lady, after all.  
And he would never hurt a lady.  
_Never.  
_"We'll fix it, Modo. One day", Charley reassured him with a warm smile, patting his arm.  
The grey-furred mouse gave her a grateful look in return before turning his gaze back on the young girl.

Throttle did the same and although seeing Charley smile made it all worth it, he still couldn't stop himself from feeling a bit… _embarrassed_.  
Embarrassed that this girl, who couldn't be much older than Vinnie, had been able to give them the quantity of trouble like she had done.  
They were Freedom Fighters.  
Tough, by war hardened soldiers.  
How was it even possible that a girl had managed to bring them down?  
Not just one but _two_ times.  
This girl, that was hardly more than a child.  
Really, this whole thing bordered close to humiliation.  
_A bruised ego…_

Speaking of which, there was a certain someone in their company that was uncharacteristically quiet and his bionic eyes now wandered over to his white-furred bro, who was still sitting on his knees next to the girl, staring at her as if this was the first time that he saw a human being.  
But it wasn't the first time.  
_Obviously.  
_Either way, there was clearly something going on in the complicated head of the young mouse.  
If Throttle had to guess, he probably just needed some time to process this uh… _manhood degrading_ defeat.  
After all, this had to be very painful for the arrogant and self-assured adrenaline junkie that dragged an ego bigger than the entire universe with him everywhere he went.

Charley seemed to notice the same thing, for she pulled on Vinnie's ear to snap him out of whatever it was that kept him busy.  
"You're unusually quiet, macho mouse. Cat got your tongue?"  
The young mouse blinked a few times before he looked up with a bit dazed expression on his face.  
"What's a cat?"  
Throttle narrowed his eyes behind his glasses when Vinnie didn't whine about her pulling on his ear, for he usually would've.  
His body was his temple, after all.  
_Hm.  
_Something was up.  
Without a doubt.

When Charley didn't respond quickly enough, Vinnie's face darkened and a nervous glance appeared in his two-colored eyes.  
"Wait a minute... This isn't like that whole spider thingy, is it?", he asked suspiciously as he already looked at his body, searching for something that -probably- wasn't there.  
"Ya know, when I asked what a spider was and you were like;_ 'that is'_ before pointing at it without giving me a heads up about how nasty that thing was and I almost blew your heads off because of it…"

"How could I possibly forget?", Charley chuckled, clearly thinking back at that moment back in the bomb shelter below her garage.  
But when she saw the deathly glare Vinnie gave her, she grew serious again.  
Or well, that's what Throttle thought.  
It turned out to be a little bit different.  
"But no worries, Vin. There are no cats near and they're a lot less scary than spiders… Although they _do_ eat mice…", she added with a frown, ticking her index finger on her chin as she thoughtfully turned her gaze up to heaven.

Vinnie paled under his fur and he slowly rose on his feet.  
"They… they eat mice, you say?", he asked as he pulled his bandana, clearly not reassured by this news.  
Throttle wasn't sure what to think about all this either, but when Charley looked back at Vinnie with twinkling eyes, he immediately knew that she wasn't serious.  
Which was probably a good thing.  
Mice eating creatures didn't exactly sound like music to his oversized ears.

"Yeah, they do. But given your size, I think you got nothing to worry about. But it's just a thought, so you better keep your eyes open, macho mouse", and after winking at the confused white-furred mouse, she walked over to her bike.  
Vinnie stared at her back for a moment with his jaw dropped and a worried look on his face.  
"What do ya mean,_ 'given your size'_?", he eventually managed to bring out.  
"I mean, if that's supposed to make me feel better, it ain't working, sweetheart..."

Throttle quickly coughed in his closed fist to cover up the chuckle that escaped his mouth.  
Despite his whole macho mouse image, Vinnie could be so naive and gullible sometimes.  
Not that he knew what a cat was, but looking at Charley's face, it couldn't be that big of a deal.  
When Charley didn't respond, the white-furred mouse looked back at the biker girl at his feet and his face expression changed from worried to blank in only the blink of an eye.  
"Ugh, never mind. Can we go now?", he grumbled as he looked at his bro and leader.

The tan-furred mouse studied his face, but it gave nothing away.  
Well, the only thing that stood out was the almost pleading tone of voice.  
He clearly wanted to get the hell out of here, rather sooner than later and Throttle wondered why that was, for he knew it wasn't about the cats.  
Not anymore.  
But he didn't ask.  
The chance that he would get an answer that actually made sense was almost non-existent, especially with Charley within earshot.  
So, he let it go for now.

"We can't just leave her here, man", Modo answered Vinnie's question before Throttle could and the tan-furred knew his bro was right.  
Despite the trouble she had given them, they couldn't just leave her here to die.  
That went against everything they were.  
Vinnie, however, wasn't convinced.  
Quite the opposite, actually.  
"What? Of course, we can! Especially after what she did to us", he protested as he mounted his bike.  
After putting on his helmet, he looked at Modo with fuming eyes.  
"Besides, she should consider herself lucky that I didn't blow her head off. So, I'm gonna ask it again; can we go now?"

The grey-furred giant straightened his back as his eye flickered red a couple of times.  
He was clearly not amused by Vinnie's bluntness and Throttle could understand where he was coming from.  
This was harsh, even for the white-furred loudmouth.  
There was _definitely_ something eating his tail.

"_No_, we _can't_ go. Not until we've figured out what to do with her, because we ain't leaving her here, in the middle of the road. That ain't right, bro, and you know it."  
When Vinnie opened his mouth to protest again, Throttle cut him off before this thing could get out of hand.  
"Hate to say it, but Modo is right, Vincent. We can't just drive away."  
The white-furred mouse snorted in annoyance and folded his arms, his tail lashing through the air with a soft zooming sound.  
But, as usual, he just didn't know when to stop.  
"I don't see why not… I mean, she tried to kill us. Not just one, but _two _times. So why on Mars wouldn't we just drive away and leave her behind to rot, huh? That's the least she deserves. If she was a man, we would've and you know it."

"For your information, she didn't try to _kill _you, but to _taser _you. Either way, I suggest you guys come up with a plan, as in, _now_, because we're about to get company", Charley interfered as she pointed at the small town in the distance.  
Throttle followed her finger and saw a group of people coming their way.  
Apparently, they had finally discovered that they had been played and that their price was one that got away.  
_Took them long enough.  
_But even though they weren't exactly a match for them, Throttle had no intention to waste their time and energy on these people who allowed themselves to be led by their greed.

"She's right, we need to get off the road", he agreed with the human female and as he looked back at the young girl lying on the street, he made a decision.  
"Modo, pick her up. We're taking her with us. Once we're out of the danger zone, we'll decide what to do with her."  
The grey-furred giant saluted before doing what he was told and Vinnie shook his head in disbelief.  
"Sure, let us bring the girl who trapped us like rats…", he muttered under his breath, but he then fell silent again, realizing what he had said just now and he shot Modo a nervous look, but by the looks of things, his older bro hadn't heard him.

He frowned, but then the look on his face changed from nervous to smug and the left corner of his mouth curled up.  
Clearly, he had an idea and judging by the look on his face, it was a bad one.  
Throttle saw it happen, but he wasn't fast enough to stop him.  
"She trapped us like _rats_, bro…", the young mouse repeated himself a bit louder and this time, Modo _did_ hear him, because he froze right after picking up the girl.

The smile on Vinnie's face became even more self-satisfied when he noticed that he had pushed the right button.  
Of course, he had.  
The big guy hated rats from their scummy line to their rotten core.  
A thing Vinnie wanted to exploit for his own gain, which was beyond selfish, even for him.  
"Like stinking, faithless, cowardly _rats…_ And you still wanna bring her with us? Come on… Where's your self-respect, bro?"

"Vincent, _enough_!", Throttle snapped at him as he kept a close eye on Modo, who was still standing with his back towards them, frozen like a Martian Deery Deer in the light of the two moons of Mars.  
"I'm not sure what's eating your tail, but the decision has been made, whether you like it or not, so _suck_ it _up_ and _shut_ that poisonous mouth of yours while you're at it, will ya?!"

Provoking the grey-furred giant as Vinnie had done just now was a dangerous thing.  
_Too _dangerous.  
The worst part was that if he would give in to his anger, that was waged by his hatred for rats, hatred that was now stirred up by Vinnie, he would probably do something he was going to regret later on.  
The guilt would be too much and therefore, Vinnie was crossing a line.  
Big time.

For a moment, nothing happened.  
Everyone was staring at Modo, some worried, some hopeful.  
But then, Modo's body relaxed a bit and Throttle let out his breath, knowing that his older bro had managed to get himself back under control.  
_Good_.  
Luckily, there were still people in this company who _did _have some self-control.  
Charley walked over to Modo and laid a hand on his arm.  
"Come on, I'll help you get her on your bike."

Throttle's face softened and his heart made a little dance in his chest when he saw the warm glance in her marvelous green eyes.  
She was so kind.  
Always willing to help.  
She was the sweetest and friendliest woman he'd ever met.  
Too bad she would never be his, for he had made the biggest mistake of his life and that was holding onto something that wasn't good for him.

He quickly shook off these unpleasant thoughts and while Charley helped Modo, he walked over to Vinnie and laid a hand on the windshield of the cherry-red racer as he looked Vinnie straight in the eye.  
"You will _not _pull a stunt like that, ever again. Not under my watch. You're off the map, Vincent and if you don't wanna end up alone, I suggest you change course immediately."

He closed his mouth with a clap, making his teeth chatter and Vinnie narrowed his eyes in confusion.  
Which was totally justified, for the last part wasn't supposed to come out of his mouth.  
His young bro had no idea that he was perfectly aware of what was happening between him and Charley and he intended to keep it that way.  
For now.  
Who knew what was going to happen if he would confront his rebellious little bro with the fact that he knew?  
It could only get ugly, a thing he wanted to avoid by all means.  
And yet, he just blurted out these words, these harsh words, without thinking.  
Way to go.  
_Man. _

But before Vinnie could ask what he meant by them, Throttle gave him one last warning glare as he knocked his fist on the windshield a couple of times before he walked away, leaving a confused white-furred mouse behind.  
When he mounted his bike, he saw that Modo had managed to find a way to bring the biker girl with him without having the risk of her falling off his bike. She was sitting in front of him, leaning against his torso and his tail was wrapped tightly around her waist to make sure she would remain where she was.

The grey-furred mouse caught his gaze and gave him a small nod to tell him that he was ready to go.  
And when Throttle saw that Charley was all good to go as well, he started his bike and put on his helmet.  
"Okay, people, let's ride."  
When he drove past the black bike of the girl, he shot a rope out of the back of his own bike and it whirled around the handlebars so he could take it with them.  
After all, friend or foe, good or bad... one does not leave a bike behind.  
_Never. _

_**…**_

After driving for about thirty minutes, Charley broke Throttle out of his thoughts as she pointed at something on their right.  
"There's a barn there. It looks deserted. Maybe we should stop there and wait until the girl wakes up", she suggested calmly.  
After taking a good look at the strange-looking building, the tan-furred leader nodded and whistled between his teeth.  
"Break-time at three o'clock, bro's", he told his two closest friends who drove behind him and Charley, both awfully quiet.

As they took the unpaved road to the barn, Modo finally opened his mouth again.  
"You banged her up pretty good, Charley ma'am", he mentioned, referring to the still unconscious girl on his bike.  
"She's still out like a light."  
Charley glanced over her shoulder with a guilt-ridden look on her face.  
"Maybe I overdid it…"  
"You did everything _just_ right, thank you very much", Vinnie told her shortly with a face like thunder and the human gave him an investigative look before she focussed her attention back on the road again.

Throttle almost felt the confusion coming out of her pores, which was a logical response.  
Even though she knew them for only a few weeks now, it was well known that despite his temper, the white-furred mouse usually was the happy note of the group, always finding a way to see the good things in bad things, always trying to stay positive.  
To see him this cranky was clearly new to her, as it was for Throttle.  
Well, it wasn't the first time that Vinnie showed them his less attractive and charming side, but this felt different than the other times.  
More intense.  
More... _real_.

"Don't mind him, babe. He'll come around. He's just upset about being defeated by a woman", the tan-furred mouse said to Charley, but he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.  
The human female only gave him a small smile, but it was enough.  
Because the cold that had been simmering in her eyes right after when he had made that awfully bad decision was now gone.  
There was still a certain distance.  
But that was okay.  
That he could handle.  
The cold, however…  
That was a different story.

Charley was the first one to reach the barn and when the three mice stopped next to her bike, she was already standing in front of the door.  
But when she laid a hand on the handle, a tan-furred hand stopped her from pulling the door open.  
"We oughta be a bit more careful, Charley", Throttle told her with a friendly look on his face, his voice soft and he pulled out his gun.  
His bro's did the same and the tan-furred mouse held up two fingers.  
First, he pointed at Modo before pointing to his left.  
The grey-furred giant nodded and soon thereafter, he disappeared behind the left side of the barn.

Throttle gave the same signal to Vinnie but then to his right.  
The young mouse didn't nod, but did what he was told anyway.  
Even he knew that some things were more important than their personal differences.  
Like to not be killed in an ambush, for instance.  
When his bro's were both out of sight, Throttle looked down at Charley, who was now holding a gun in her hand as well.  
"Ready?"  
"Ready", she confirmed determinedly.  
Throttle pressed his back against the wall next to the door and after taking a deep breath, he slowly reached out to the handle.

But before he could put his furry fingers on it, the door already flew open and his heart skipped a beat as he aimed his gun at whoever it was behind the door, his finger already on the trigger.  
Charley's reaction went even a step further, for right after the door flew open, her hand lashed out and she punched the person squarely on the nose.  
"_Ouch_! Charley-girl! What the hell was that for?!", a high-pitched voice broke the loaded silence and Throttle let out his breath as he lowered his gun, happy that he didn't suffer from an itchy trigger finger like some of them.  
Even though he was still not pleased with Vinnie's behavior, he would never forgive himself if he would blow him up to smithereens.

Charley put a hand over her mouth as soon as she saw it was Vinnie who stood on the doorstep.  
"Oh my god, Vinnie, I'm so sorry", she brought out between her fingers before lowering her hand again, her green eyes still wide open.  
"But you almost gave me a heart attack just now. Jesus, what were you thinking? No one ever learned you the meaning of subtlety?"  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes, rubbing his sore nose.  
"Hey, no swearing in my beautiful presence, doll! Subtlety, _yuck_, gross", he muttered with disgust written upon his face.  
"Ugh, how much I hate that word…"

Throttle shook his head and after a quick look over his shoulder to learn that they were still alone, he pushed his young bro back inside  
"I take it you came to tell us that it's clear?", he asked as he too stepped inside, looking around him.  
"No, I came to tell ya that it's my grandma's birthday today, all right?", the young mouse snapped at him, even more cranky after Charley's blow.  
_This just wasn't a very good day..._

"It's your grandma's birthday?", Modo asked a bit surprised as he looked up from the wall with all kinds of tools that he had been studying before the rest of the group came inside.  
Vinnie's left ear twitched as he slowly looked at Modo, grinding his teeth in both annoyance and disbelief because of the stupidity of this question and Modo immediately took the hint.  
"Never mind", he quickly said with a goofy smile on his face, scratching his neck and he looked at Throttle.  
"It's all clear, bro."  
"I figured as much", the tan-furred mouse replied dryly but a bit amused at the same time.  
"Come on, let's get the girl and the bikes inside before somebody spots them."

**_…_**

"She's waking up."  
Throttle leaned forward in the chair that they had found in the corner of the -indeed- deserted barn, studying the face of the biker girl who was now tied to one of the wooden poles that supported the roof.  
Modo was right, she was showing signs of waking up.

Her head, that was resting on her right shoulder until now, moved to the left and by the looks of things, she tried to move her hands as well, which was impossible for they were tied up behind her back.  
The girl seemed to realize that as well, because she frowned as she struggled a bit harder.  
When that didn't work, she slowly opened her eyes, looking around her a bit dazed.  
After blinking a few times, she gazed up, straight into Throttle's eyes and he leaned back in his chair in surprise.

Although he was now familiar with this strange phenomenon because of what happened to Vinnie's eye, it was still a mind-blown sight to see and he leaned forward again to take a closer look.  
_Interesting...  
_Her right eye was as blue as the sky on this planet called Earth, while the left one was as green as the grass in Sleepy Park back at Camp Hope.  
It was peculiar and beautiful at the same time and Throttle got back upright again as he glanced at his young bro, curious about what his response would be to this discovery.  
Again, he caught him staring at the girl in some sort of state of shock and the tan-furred mouse rubbed his chin, still confused about what it was that took his bro this off guard.

But a scraping sound took his attention and he looked back at the girl, who was now doubling her efforts to get free.  
Which was, of course, no use.  
After all, the mice weren't born yesterday.  
They knew perfectly well how to tie a few knots that were simply impossible to untie, no matter how determined the prisoner was.  
Eventually, she gave up and looked up again as she blew a strand of black hair out of her heated face.  
Her eyes darted over the group to eventually land on Vinnie.  
A glance of recognition flickered across her face and she arched a brow, giving her a somewhat arrogant expression.  
"Didn't you tell me that bondage ain't really your thing?"

Her voice was actually quite a joy for the ears, with its lower tones and a slightly husky edge.  
Her words, however, were the last ones he'd expected her to say and Throttle blinked a few times before exchanging looks with Modo, who shrugged a bit embarrassed.  
Then, they both looked at Vinnie, who was still staring at her.  
But it didn't take long before he recovered from whatever it was that was going on in his sophisticated head and he folded his arms with twitching ears and a challenging look on his young face.  
"It isn't. But I never said I don't like it the other way around… _doll._"

His voice was deep, the high tones nowhere to be found and frankly, it worried Throttle a bit.  
It gave him the feeling that he didn't have things under control, and with things he actually meant Vinnie.  
He was clearly upset about something and it was general knowledge that when he was upset, he tended to do stupid things.  
_Unpredictable_ things.  
A less pretty character trait.  
Well, only one thing to do.  
Take back control over the conversation.

And so, he cleared his throat as his gaze landed back on the girl.  
"You have given us a lot of trouble, missy", he started not unfriendly, leaning with his elbow on his knee.  
"I'm sure you understand why we had to tie you up. You're quite the fighter."  
The girl turned her gaze from Vinnie back to Throttle before she leaned forward -as far as her bonds let her, that is-, her two-colored eyes burning with rebellion and even something that came close to hatred.  
"Oh, I understand, alright. You had to even the odds…"  
An arrogant smile curled her full lips as she leaned back against the pole again.  
"After all, if it wasn't for your pet, things would be the other way around."

Throttle narrowed his eyes behind his glasses when he heard this young girl call the woman of his dreams their pet, but he managed to keep himself under control.  
Charley, however…  
Charley was far from amused.  
He couldn't really blame her.  
The girl was just being downright degrading.  
"Pet? I kicked your ass and you still dare to call me their _pet_?", the human female spat out with flaring nostrils and she did a few steps forward, her fists clenched.

It was Modo who stopped her before she could do something which she probably would regret later on.  
Or maybe she wouldn't, but it was important to keep this situation under control anyway and letting Charley take out her anger on this girl who wasn't afraid at a time she should be didn't fit that picture.  
_Not even close.  
_"Easy, Charley ma'am, don't let her get under your skin. That's all she ever wants. Let's not give it to her."  
"Yeah, down girl. Back in your cage", the girl snorted as she glanced at Charley from under her lashes, a look that was all too familiar to Throttle.  
A certain white-furred mouse came to mind.  
_Hm.  
_This could get interesting.

"My my, quite the attitude you got there, young lady", he said calmly as he took off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt, the paragon of restraint.  
"I suggest you take it down a notch. Your current position can't afford such a big mouth."  
Anyone who knew the tan-furred mouse would know by only hearing the tone of his voice that listening to him was the wisest thing to do right now.  
But the girl didn't know him, and even if she had heard the threat that was hidden underneath his calmness, she obviously didn't care because she started laughing.  
_Laughing._

Throttle didn't know if she was either stupid or suicidal, or perhaps even both, but he knew one thing.  
This girl didn't know a thing about respect.  
"Or what, rodent? You're gonna kill me?", she scoffed, shaking her head in amusement.  
Just when Throttle wanted to tell her that it wasn't necessarily him she needed to worry about, a low voice coming from behind him already answered that question.  
"You _really_ shouldn't tempt me."

The tan-furred mouse placed his customized specs back on his nose before he glanced over his shoulder at Vinnie, who was clearly close to his breaking point, a thing he had already suspected.  
He looked back at the girl, who now had turned her burning gaze from him to his young bro.  
"What about honor, huh? I thought there was no honor in shooting someone who's tied up?", she asked, still highly amused instead of being afraid like she probably should be.

Vinnie snorted as he shook his head, his snow-white fur bristled.  
"I don't give a damn about honor, sweetheart. Not when it comes to people who cross me like you did. Revenge, however… revenge is something I thrive on…"  
Perhaps it was his tone of voice.  
Perhaps it were his fuming two-colored eyes.  
Or perhaps his words just made impact.

Throttle wasn't sure what it was, but the girl stopped laughing.  
She _still_ wasn't impressed the way she should be, but at least she stopped laughing.  
Which was good.  
Because Throttle knew that this situation was about to get ugly, hearing Vinnie's voice had been enough to come to that conclusion.  
If only she would shut that big mouth of hers...  
"And what are you planning on doing? Melt me with your smoldering look?"

It was Charley who stepped up before Vinnie had the chance to react.  
The human female jumped between him and the girl as she looked at the latter with fuming eyes.  
"_Enough_! They're _not_ the enemy here!"  
The amusement on the girl's face vanished like smoke in the wind and anger took its place.  
"Of course they are! _Every_ alien is my enemy!", she spat out, already struggling to get free again.  
The transformation was shocking, to say the least, _and_ confusing at the same time.  
"Hold up. If every alien is your enemy, then why do you work for the Plutarkians?", Throttle asked with a frown.

The girl stared at him for a moment before she burst into laughter again and Throttle caught himself starting to feel a _little bit_ annoyed.  
"Now what's so funny this time?", he asked tiredly, drumming with his fingers on the armrest of his chair as he tried to contain his anger.  
Again, she stopped laughing quite abruptly and she looked at him with eyes burning of hatred.  
"I don't work for them. That's the dumbest thing I ever heard."  
"Not so dumb considering you use nets made of Plutarkian Fiber Steel", Throttle retorted as he kept a close eye on her.

That caught her interest, he could tell.  
"How do you know?", she asked as she tilted her head with a frown.  
"Because we're fighting the fish heads for a very long time now. You should know that Earth isn't the first planet they invaded and if we don't stop them, it most certainly won't be the last."  
She narrowed her eyes as she studied his face, probably searching for a sign that would tell her he was lying.  
But he wasn't, so he wasn't worried that she would find anything.  
"You fight them?", she eventually asked a bit hesitant, still with that confused frown on her face.  
"Well, _duh_! Why else would they put a price on our heads, huh? Geez, and they say humans are smart", Vinnie interfered and the girl looked up with a jerk, her mouth in a tight line.

Seeing the way she looked at his white-furred bro, Throttle could tell that he had lost her again and he closed his eyes for a moment, cursing Vinnie for his big mouth and sense of bad timing.  
"Did you just call me dumb?", she asked with an ice-cold voice.  
"I guess I did, huh?", Vinnie smiled humorlessly as he studied his nails before glancing at the girl with a challenging look on his face.  
A challenging look accompanied by anger and Throttle couldn't help himself but wonder again why the girl managed to get under his skin the way she did.  
Of course, she was beyond annoying.  
But was that really the reason why Vinnie was this upset?  
Or could there be more to it?

"Why don't you come here so we can settle this, huh, tough guy? Once and for all", the girl snapped at him.  
It was painfully obvious that she didn't like to be called dumb, but then again, who did?  
The white-furred mouse rolled his eyes, not impressed by this empty threat.  
"Oeh, I'm _shaking_. Well, maybe I would've, if you weren't tied up, that is."  
"Who said I'm tied up?", she asked sweetly in return and everyone inside the barn froze.

But before they could only so much _blink_ their eyes, the girl jumped on her feet, holding a knife in her right hand and without slowing down, she lashed out to the person closest to her, which happened to be Throttle.  
Again, he thanked the Mothers of Mars for his quick reflexes and he ducked as he used his weight to let the chair fall backward.  
The knife almost grazed his nose, but _almost_ was the same as _not_ in this case.

The moment the backrest hit the floor, he made a backward somersault and jumped back on his feet.  
"I thought you searched her, Charley", he called out, still highly surprised by this sudden move.  
"I did! Must have missed something", the human female answered shortly, her eyes fixated on her younger fellow human being.  
"Obviously", the girl smiled smugly and now launched an attack on Charley again.

But this time, the human female was just a fraction too slow and the knife _did_ graze her upper arm.  
Charley froze and looked down at her arm, how the blood colored her blouse red before she looked back at the girl again, her green eyes fuming.  
But the girl was already fighting off Modo, who would've succeeded to get her back under control if it wasn't for his chivalry.  
He simply couldn't hurt her, that went against everything he was, so he tried to catch her without using too much force.

But unfortunately for him, the girl didn't back down from any opportunity to fight dirty, because she raised her right foot and kicked him right between his legs.  
The grey-furred giant let out a moan as he fell on his knees, his one eye squeezed shut in pain and the girl raised her hand with the knife.  
Throttle's heart skipped a few beats and he already made his way towards her to stop her from hurting his bro, his eyes wide open when he saw how her hand started its way down.

But then, a loud click pierced the deathly silence and the girl froze, so did Throttle and he stopped dead in his tracks.  
"That's far enough, pretty lady", Vinnie growled between clenched teeth, holding a gun to her head.  
"Drop the knife. Now."  
She hesitated, but Vinnie wasn't in the mood for games and he pressed the barrel of his ray gun even harder against her head.  
"_Don't_ test me. Drop it. _Now_!"

She seemed to realize that he was beyond serious and the knife slid through her fingers, landing on the floor with loud clattering.  
Her anger seemed to go along with it, for her shoulders slumped in defeat.  
The look on her face changed, the hatred now replaced with something else.  
Sadness.  
_Despair_.  
She suddenly looked ten years younger, making it even harder to believe that this was the same girl that kept getting in their way and Throttle wondered what her story was, for it was obvious to him that she had one.  
An interesting one, too.

But he couldn't just ask.  
Not now.  
There were other matters that required his undivided attention first.  
Like stopping a certain rash and reckless white-furred mouse with an itchy trigger finger from blowing her head off, for instance.  
That seemed a bit far-fetched at first hand, for they all knew that even despite his temper and big mouth, Vinnie wasn't a mouse that killed without mercy whenever it pleased him.  
Quite the opposite, actually.

But the tan-furred mouse didn't trust the look on his face.  
There was just something in his eyes that made him even more unpredictable than usual and the tan-furred mouse still hadn't figured out what it was.  
But he guessed it was now safe to conclude that this girl obviously did something to his young bro.  
And it wasn't something good.  
He also didn't lower the gun.  
That wasn't good either.

"You can put the gun down, Vincent. She's unarmed and therefore no longer a threat", Throttle said softly, almost cautiously.  
But, as expected, the white-furred mouse didn't listen.  
He stared at the girl with teeth clenched and twitching ears and the hand that held the gun slightly trembled, he now noticed.  
_What on Mars was going on here?  
_"Vinnie… put down the gun."  
It was if he didn't hear him.  
As if he was in a trance.

The girl just stood there, breathing heavily and for the first time since they met, Throttle saw a glance of fear in her eyes.  
So she wasn't fearless after all.  
She obviously feared death.  
But he had the feeling that it wasn't as simple as fearing the unknown.  
There was more to it.  
As if she had a purpose to fulfill before she could die in peace.

But whatever it was, it at least ensured that she kept her mouth shut, for she seemed to understand that her life was now hanging by a thread.  
A thread held by Vinnie, her fate now in his hands.  
His _trembling_ hands.  
Throttle shot Modo a worried look, who still sat on his knees, recovering from the sharp pain the girl's well-placed kick had caused.  
The grey-furred giant shrugged with a slightly desperate look on his face in return, clearly standing in the dark here as well, just like his tan-furred bro.

It was Charley who eventually did a few steps forward before Throttle could stop her and she approached the young mouse cautiously yet targeted.  
Vinnie didn't seem to notice her, for he was still staring at the gun in his hands, the gun he held to the girl's head.  
When Charley reached him, she slowly reached out her hand and laid it on his white-furred arm.  
From the moment her fingers made contact, a shock went through his body, but he still didn't lower the gun.  
Neither did he look at Charley.

"Vinnie, it's okay. Put down the gun. She isn't worth it", Charley whispered soothingly as her fingers slid through the fur on his arm in an attempt to make him conscious of her presence.  
Seeing her touching him like that made Throttle a bit nauseous, but he said nothing.  
Of course, he didn't.  
It would be beyond ridiculous if he would put the life of this young girl on the line because of something as dishonorable as jealousy.  
_Because of a broken heart.  
_He was a lot of things, but dumb most certainly wasn't one of them.  
Neither was he selfish.  
So, he just stood there, watching the scene with mixed feelings and an aching heart.

The silence was deafening, almost suffocating.  
It pressed against his eardrums, causing a high beep in his ears.  
Kind of like that awful moment of silence on the battlefield, the silence that came right before all hell broke loose.  
But then, Vinnie let out his breath as he lowered the gun and suddenly, everyone could breathe again, the pressure that came with the fear of having no control now gone.

The girl closed her eyes for a moment, relief clearly written upon her face.  
She even let Charley guide her back to the pole without struggle, where Modo was already waiting to tie her back up.  
Throttle bent down and grabbed the chair to put it back on four legs and after taking a deep breath to calm down the whirlwind of emotions inside of him, he sat down again.

The girl looked up at him with those peculiar eyes of hers, but her anger was still nowhere to be found when she eventually opened her mouth again.  
"So now what?"  
Throttle adjusted his glasses before leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.  
"Now… Now we talk."


	28. Chapter 28

Hey you guys...

Thank you so much for the reviews.  
We've reached the hundred, yay!  
So cool :D

So, here's the next chapter and damn, it's a long one.  
I didn't even notice while writing it, hehe.  
Ah well.  
Hope you guys enjoy it.  
If not, my apologies in advance ;)

Feel free to leave a review once you're done, always very much appreciated.  
And till next time, my loyal readers.

Bye, or as we say it in Dutch; Doei!

* * *

**Chapter 28**

The girl tilted her head with confusion written upon her face.  
"Talk? I just tried to kill you and you wanna… _talk_?", she asked with a frown.  
Throttle smiled, somehow amused by her response.  
The way she put it made it sound a bit silly, actually.  
Perhaps it was.  
But he didn't care.  
He did what felt right, like he always did.  
"Yeah. Talk. I need to figure out what to do with you", he explained his intentions.  
"Why don't you save yourself the trouble and just kill me right away, huh? I'm not that much of a talker anyway", she sighed as she rested her head against the pole, but again, Throttle saw a glance of fear in her odd-looking eyes, telling him that this so-called nonchalant attitude was nothing but a show.

"No worries, little miss. We ain't gonna kill ya", Modo reassured the girl, sitting on his bike with his arms resting on the handlebars.  
His face was friendly and soft, which was quite admiring given this was the very same girl that had damaged his bike, not to mention that she had kicked him in the balls just minutes ago.  
But that's the thing about Modo.  
He was just too kind.  
Throttle truly admired his ability to be so forgiving.  
Forgiveness was rare in times of war, a thing the girl knew all too well, judged by the look on her face.  
She obviously didn't trust it, for her confusion got now replaced by suspicion.  
Suspicion triggered by his kindness.  
"You're not?"

"No", Throttle answered that question and she now turned her attention back on him, still frowning.  
"Why not? I mean, you said it yourself; I gave you a whole lotta trouble."  
"You did. But not all aliens are like the Plutarkians", the tan-furred leader contradicted calmly.  
"Besides, if we really wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, trust me."  
But she didn't.  
Trust him.  
She clearly wasn't convinced, which in turn told Throttle that she probably had some serious trust issues.  
Not really strange in times like these.  
But then there was her mighty big mouth.  
"You're full of shit, that's what you are", she snapped at him, which was a bad move.  
Because someone in their company wasn't as calm as Throttle and he most certainly wasn't as forgiving as Modo.

"Hey, a little respect, you little shit!", Vinnie spat out as he pushed himself off his bike before he did a few steps in her direction, his white fur bristled like an angry Memphant.  
"He's the only reason why you're still breathing and if ya wanna keep it that way, you better find yourself a different tone!"  
Throttle was about to jump up from his chair to stop his white-furred bro from doing something stupid when he saw that Charley was already rushing towards the agitated young mouse.  
She ducked to avoid the lashing white tail and grabbed Vinnie by the arm to stop him.

"Let's not do something you're gonna regret later on, huh, macho mouse?", she intervened calmly but resolutely.  
When Vinnie felt her touch, he turned his burning eyes away from the girl and looked down at Charley a bit surprised, as if she was the last one he'd expected to stop him, being the fragile human she was.  
Well, fragile or not, she had enough courage for an entire army, that's for sure.  
"Who says I'm gonna regret it later on?", he then asked with a frown on his face and twitching ears.  
"I do. Because I know you will. Now sit down and let Throttle handle this, okay?"

The young mouse grinded his teeth, but still did what he was told and after one glare at the girl, he slowly sat down on his bike again with folded arms.  
Throttle couldn't stop himself from being impressed, despite the nagging feeling of jealousy that was still gnawing on his insides.  
But the people who Vinnie listened to could be counted on one hand and seeing that one was just added to the list was not only a rare thing but gave him some room to breathe as well.  
Although the fact that it was Charley who now had joined the selective group made him even more jealous, strangely enough.  
Well, perhaps not _that_ strange, given the current circumstances.  
Either way, it was a welcome development.  
If only the girl would stop provoking the white-furred hothead.  
That would make things a whole lot easier.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Temper, temper. So you're not only arrogant but explosive as well. Quite the combination. Gotta admit though, it's nice to know there's something inside that head of yours beside ego", she snarled with a challenging look on her face and Vinnie already got back on his feet again with clenched fists and eyes spitting fire.  
"Why you…"  
But this time, it was Modo who stopped this madness before it even began and he jumped off his bike before he lined himself up between his young bro and the girl.  
"Stop it. _Both_ of you. We don't have time for this. We need to wrap this up and be on our way, rather sooner than later", he told the two rebelling rascals with a slightly threatening tone in his already heavy voice.  
The girl opened her mouth, but Charley was quicker.  
"He's right. It's still a long way to California, so…"  
"California?", the girl cut her off as she looked up with her two-colored eyes wide open, clearly interested in this fact.  
"You're going to California?"

Throttle leaned to his right as he slumped back in the chair again, his gaze fixated on her young face.  
"You heard the lady."  
The girl looked back at him somewhat expectantly, as if she was waiting for him to continue.  
But Throttle deliberately kept his mouth shut, knowing that silence was more at its place here.  
He needed her to start talking, after all.  
And, strangely enough, silence made people talk.  
On Mars, that is.  
But it soon became clear that humans were no different.  
"Why do you wanna go to California? There's nothing there. It's a wasteland."  
"How do you know?"  
"Because I used to live there, once…", she slowly trailed off and her armor now began to show some cracks.  
_Good. _

Throttle got back upright again and rested his elbows on his knees as he gave her a warm and friendly look.  
"You're not after us because of the money, are you?"  
The question made her uncomfortable, he could tell and he wondered why that was.  
In fact, he was beyond curious about her story.  
What was the motivation of this young girl, who was obviously affected by the invasion that destroyed her home, to go after three aliens all by herself?  
It couldn't be about the money.  
No, there was more to it.  
But was she going to tell them what it was?  
That was the question.

Well, he could just push her a little bit further, of course.  
He could force her to reveal her motives the hard way.  
But looking at her, he knew it wasn't that simple, for the signs she gave him were all too familiar.  
The way she avoided his gaze.  
How her heartbeat rose.  
How her breathing increased.  
The faint blush on her cheeks.  
The tan-furred leader glanced over his shoulder at Vinnie, who now stared angrily at the ground.  
_Oh, it was familiar, alright.  
_And a direct approach wasn't the solution to this problem, let alone forcing her.  
That was something he had learned the hard way.

So it turned out that her comment about her not being that much of a talker wasn't part of the show but based on reality.  
Her body language confirmed that theory.  
But it wasn't something he couldn't handle.  
After living with Vinnie for years now, he had enough practice in how to deal with this quite inconvenient phenomenon.  
It was somehow good to know that all the frustration that came along with it hadn't been in vain after all.

Still waiting for an answer, he kept a close eye on her and as soon as her eyes darted over to him, he gave her an encouraging smile.  
His way of telling her that it was okay.  
It seemed to work, because she opened her mouth again to answer his question.  
"No. I'm not. Why are you going to California?", she quickly asked again before Throttle could say something and he decided that it was only fair to answer her question honestly since she had done the same thing just now.  
"Our friends are there. They're in trouble and need our help. Next to that, there's a big, smelly and ugly problem there that needs to be uh… _handled_."

The girl looked up with a jerk, her eyes now almost burning a hole in his skull.  
"You mean Limburger?", she demanded as she leaned forward, almost dangling in her bounds.  
_Bingo.  
_He finally had her undivided attention.  
"That appears to be his name, yeah. You don't seem fond of him."  
"Would you be fond of the one who kidnapped your brother?", she spat out, clearly not liking his choice of words.  
It was a fair point.  
'_Not fond of him' _was an understatement that didn't even come close to the hatred he now read in her two-colored eyes, but it encouraged her to talk and that's all he ever wanted.  
"I guess not…", he said softly.  
"I figured as much."

This wasn't exactly a pleasant and smooth conversation.  
But at least he now knew why she was after them.  
_Her brother.  
_He couldn't say that it surprised him, for he knew from experience that Plutarkians didn't play fair and using other people's love to get what they wanted was one of their many foul tactics.  
_So, no…  
_He wasn't surprised.  
It was worry with a hint of despair that prevailed after hearing her motive, for it complicated matters even further.

Yes, people would do anything for money.  
But there was one thing that made them willing to take it even a step further.  
_Love.  
_Which meant in turn that he couldn't just let her go, no matter how badly he wanted to.  
But he had his own family to protect.  
To take care of.  
A family that was her target.  
She was never going to stop hunting them and the weirdest thing was that he couldn't even blame her.  
He even _understood_ her devotion now.  
They were her leverage.  
The key to her brother's release.  
Of course, she would never give up.  
He wouldn't have either, if he was standing in her shoes.

But what she seemed to forget was that the Plutarkians were foul and untrustworthy creatures.  
Well, _that_ she was aware of, obviously.  
But there was one thing she hadn't thought about, as far as he could tell.  
And that was that Plutarkians never kept their word, no matter what they promised.  
Their word meant _nothing.  
_No exceptions.

Therefore, Throttle knew that even if she would succeed in catching _and_ delivering them to the big cheese, he would either kill her or take her as a prisoner as well.  
Or perhaps even both, in different order, of course.  
But whatever the fish would decide to do, it wouldn't include releasing her brother, that he dared to bet his life on.  
_Hm…  
_"Give us a moment, will ya?", he asked and when she nodded, he got off the chair and gestured the rest to follow him to the corner of the barn for consultation.

When they all stood in a little circle around him, he looked them in the eye, one by one.  
"This obviously complicates things. The way I see it, there's only one way to solve this problem, but it's a decision I don't wanna make on my own", he whispered to avoid the girl would hear him.  
Modo rubbed his chin, but he soon caught on, for he glanced at Vinnie before he looked at Throttle with doubt written upon his face.  
The tan-furred mouse shrugged back almost invisible, his way of telling his grey-furred bro that he knew what he was trying to say, but that his hands were tied.  
Their options were rather limited, after all.

Charley seemed to catch on as well, for she heaved a sigh as her green eyes darted from the girl back to Throttle.  
"You want to give her a place in the team and help her free her brother", she dropped the bomb, for someone had to do it.  
Vinnie froze and slowly turned his head to look at his tan-furred bro with narrowed eyes, clearly expecting him to contradict this theory.  
But he didn't.  
Because Charley had hit it right on the head.

"I'm sorry, Vinnie, but it's the only way. We can't just let her walk, she'll never stop hunting us", he told his young bro with an apologetic look on his face, but the white-furred mouse didn't buy it.  
"Are you even listening to yourself right now? You make it sound like there's no other way, but there is and you _know _it…"  
"That's _not_ an option, not even close. Letting her join the team is. In fact, it's our _only_ option."  
"Bullshit! How do ya know that she won't try to kill us, _again_, the moment we cut her loose, huh? Or maybe she's smart enough to wait till tonight, so she can slit our throats in our sleep…"

"Not if we give her a reason not to", Throttle cut him off before he could really get going.  
"I don't think she's the enemy here. She just wants her brother back. And we're going to help her with that. Because that's what we do, remember? We help those in need. Next to that, she's has proven to be a skilled fighter which makes her a good gain for the team. We can use all the fire-power we can find to take down the big cheese. It's a win-win."  
"He's right, Vin. Something good can come out of this", Modo agreed with their tan-furred bro, which earned him a baffled look from the white-furred youngster.  
"Say _what_? Modo, come _on_! She damaged your bike! She kicked you in the nuts! For that alone she deserves what's coming to her. How on Mars can you agree with this?"  
"Because I trust Throttle. And he wouldn't be suggesting this if he wasn't supporting it", the grey-furred mouse answered calmly.

They all three looked at Charley, who heaved a sigh as she laid a hand on Vinnie's shoulder.  
"I'm sorry, but I'm with them on this one. Don't get me wrong, I share your concerns, but murdering her because she's a major pain in the ass is a bridge too far. Besides… I kind of feel sorry for her. Throttle is right. I think we should help her."  
Vinnie's left ear twitched a couple of times as he looked at them with fuming eyes, clearly about to explode out of his fur.

His gaze eventually landed on Throttle and their eyes locked.  
"_Fine_. But don't come to me when she proves you wrong!", he growled between clenched teeth and he swirled around, but before he could walk away, Throttle grabbed him by the arm and forced him to turn back around, determined to get some answers about this unexplainable behavior.  
"Why are you so hellbent on killing her? That just isn't like you, Vincent. What is wrong with you? You're acting strange ever since you pulled off her helmet."  
"As if _you_ would understand!", Vinnie snapped at him and he yanked himself free before he stormed away.  
"What's that supposed to mean?!", Throttle called after him, but Vinnie was already gone.

The door closed behind him with a loud bang, making the wooden walls tremble and some of the tools fell down with loud clattering, making everyone who was still inside flinch.  
When the last sounds slowly faded, Throttle squeezed the bridge of his nose as a pounding headache made its way up to his temples.  
He was so not in the mood for this.  
Not with everything that was already going on.  
Charley seemed to feel his frustration, because he suddenly felt a warm hand on his arm and he looked up, both surprised and relieved that she, apparently, was okay with touching him again.  
"I'll go talk to him. You do whatever you need to do, okay? We trust your judgment, right, big fella?", she added as she looked at Modo, who wildly nodded his head.  
"Always."

But Throttle hesitated, and it wasn't because of the girl.  
Truth be told, he didn't like the idea of Charley talking to Vinnie.  
The thought alone of giving them some alone time was enough for his stomach to make about ten backflips.  
Which was, _again_, the jealousy talking and it made him sick.  
Sick of himself.  
Luckily, he still had the presence of mind to know that he couldn't let it stand in the way.  
Besides, maybe she was able to talk some sense into that loudmouth, for he obviously wasn't the right mouse for the job.  
Not this time.

And there it was again.  
_The bigger picture.  
_Sometimes, and with sometimes he meant very occasionally, he hated to play the leadership role.  
To always look at the bigger picture.  
To resign his own for the greater good.  
Today was one of those days.  
_Definitely_.

"Come on, bro. I've got your back", Modo smiled kindly as he patted the tan-furred mouse on the back to strengthen his words, as if he somehow sensed his distress.  
He probably did.  
He was the most sensitive out of the three of them, after all.  
Knowing that time wasn't on their side, Throttle took a deep breath and rubbed his face as he pulled himself back together, for that's what leaders did.  
They looked at the bigger picture and acted on it.  
And so he did.  
Like he always did.  
Like he always would do.  
To the last breath.  
Because he was a leader where people could rely on.  
"Okay. Let's get this over with."  
And after one, almost longing glance in Charley's direction, he walked back to the girl, followed by Modo.  
His bro.  
His family.  
Who always had his back.  
_Always. _

**_…_**

Once outside, Vinnie took a few deep breaths to calm this storm that was whirling inside of him -or perhaps hurricane was a better description- but it was no use.  
His entire body was on high alert and the restlessness, the one that was already there every second of the day was now even ten times worse, making it almost unbearable.  
A growl vibrated deep in his chest as he started to pace up and down, not able to stand still.  
He had no idea what was happening to him.  
All he knew was that he wanted her gone.  
This girl with her strange-looking eyes.  
There was this unexplainable urge to keep her away from him as far as possible, an urge so strong that even _killing_ her sounded somehow attractive, which was weird and beyond worrying, even for him.

Despite his… _enthusiasm_, he wasn't really the bloodthirsty kind of guy.  
He didn't kill for sports.  
Only if it was absolutely necessary.  
When there were lives on the line, for instance, which now wasn't the case.  
Not anymore.  
Well, if he had to believe Throttle, that is.  
But even though he hated to admit it, Modo was right.  
If their tan-furred leader supported this idea, it was probably a good idea.  
The mouse was smart, after all, and history had shown that his judgment was trustworthy.  
Then _why_ was he so against it?  
Gosh, this was more than confusing.  
_What the fuck was wrong with him?_

He had no idea, sadly enough.  
Well, not about the part with the girl.  
There was this other part that was gnawing on his insides ever since he opened his eyes this morning.  
A part that pressed a heavy weight on his conscience.  
A part that he perfectly understood, unlike the part about the girl.  
_Throttle._

His tan-furred bro and leader, who was worried about him, he could tell.  
It was practically written upon his face.  
He _cared_.  
Like he always did.  
It was nothing but a fact.  
A fact that made him feel even worse.  
Worse about himself.  
If only his friend knew what he had done.  
If he knew, he wouldn't be worried.  
He wouldn't care.  
Not anymore.  
With good reason.

'_If you don't wanna end up alone, I suggest you change course immediately.'_

Maybe he already knew.  
_Nah.  
_That was impossible.  
He would've said something if he did.  
He was right, though.  
He needed to change course.  
And fast, too.  
_If only it was that simple..._

_Shit_, everything was just so _fucked_ up ever since they set foot on this crazy planet.  
He just wanted to go home.  
Where life had been rough, but simple.  
Here… not so much.  
The guilt was killing him.  
Slowly.  
Painfully.  
It was already eating him from the inside, even though it was only last night that it had happened.  
_Dammit_.  
What a mess.  
How on Mars was he supposed to live with himself?

The sound of the door broke him out of his thoughts and made him look up, but he actually didn't have to.  
From the moment the door opened, that maddening scent of hers already caressed his nostrils again and a shiver ran down his spine.  
It made an even bigger impact now his body was already as hyped up as it was now and the moment their eyes locked, he just snapped.  
Like he always did.  
_Ugh.  
_Before Charley could say or do anything, he already marched over to her, grabbed her head with both hands and kissed her heatedly, perhaps even desperately.

Without slowing down, he roughly pushed her against the wall of the barn, his heart almost exploding out of his chest when he felt her body rubbing against his, but he then suddenly realized what he was doing and he broke off the kiss just as quickly as he had started it.  
"I can't do this… I thought I could, but I… I can't", he panted, leaning against the wall with his right hand resting next to her head and avoiding her burning gaze at all costs.  
He couldn't look at her.  
He wasn't sure if he was able to control himself.  
But he had to.  
For Throttle.

"This is wrong on so many levels, you don't even know…"  
His despair was clearly hearable in his voice and he hated it.  
Hated it for being this weak.  
Yes, _weak_.  
He was weak.  
Suddenly, his anger fired like a missile again and he slammed his fist against the red-painted wall.  
"_Fuck!_"

The wood split under his knuckles and if it wasn't for his fingerless gloves, the splinters would've penetrated his skin.  
Not that he cared right now.  
All he cared about was his bro.  
His friend.  
His only family, next to Modo and Stoker.  
They were all he had left.  
And he just… he just...  
_Dammit!  
_Even in his mind he was speechless about what he had done.  
Seriously, could he sink any lower?

Charley, who was still standing with her back against the wall, flinched when his fist made contact with the wooden structure and Vinnie blinked a few times in confusion before it dawned upon him.  
_Max.  
_Gosh.  
He could be so blunt sometimes.  
_Act first, think later.  
_His life motto.  
_Ugh.  
_It was more like a curse.

He quickly pushed himself off the wall and did a few steps backward to give her some space.  
That seemed to do her some good, and she rested her head against the wall as she let out her breath, her green eyes closed.  
"Why?", she simply asked.  
"Why what?", he asked in return, already forgotten what he had said to her.  
"Why is this wrong?"  
_Oh.  
_Right.  
_That.  
_"It just is. This has to stop. Today. Now."

She opened her eyes and looked him straight in the eye.  
"Why?", she just repeated her question, much to his annoyance.  
Seriously, was she blind?  
Or deaf, maybe?  
Wasn't it obvious?  
"Because it's _wrong_, that's why", he snapped at her, he just couldn't stop himself.  
_Ha.  
_He never could.  
Story of his life.

But this time, she didn't flinch.  
In fact, she folded her arms and narrowed her green eyes as she gave him this intense look, the one that brought him on high alert again, for he knew that look.  
It was the exact same look she had given him that night in the garage.  
That awful look that was able to see right through him.  
A look that could only mean trouble.  
"You like her, don't you?", she eventually asked.  
_Trouble indeed. _

"_What_?! No way! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!", he called out as he already started to pace again, not able to just stand there and feel that burning gaze of hers fixated on him.  
Why was he reacting this way?  
Why couldn't he just tell her that she was wrong in a normal and civilized way?  
He was supposed to be the smooth talker of the group, right?  
Well, he wasn't exactly living up to the expectation right now.  
_Another failure.  
_The air on Earth seemed to be infused with it.  
_Failure.  
_It had to be.  
Why else would everything be such a mess?

Her question, regardless of whether it was based on the truth or not, _did_ tell him the reason why she was here, though.  
It also told him that she was neither blind nor deaf.  
_No...  
_She was here to _'talk'_ to him.  
To find out what was wrong with him.  
What was eating his tail.  
Even worse, she was here to push his buttons.  
To back him into a corner and make him crack, so he would unburden himself.  
Which was dangerous.  
Because he knew she was one of the few who knew how to find his buttons.  
_Oh boy, oh boy.  
_Trouble.  
_Big time._

Charley wasn't really impressed with his disproportionate response though.  
That didn't exactly surprise him.  
He had already noticed before that it took a lot to throw her off her game.  
It was such a contrast with the woman that recently came out of an abusive relationship.  
The one who had shown her face only seconds ago, when he hit that wall.  
But he would never judge.  
Not this time.

He knew what it did to someone's soul.  
Being abused.  
His mother had shown that to him.  
How the soul slowly crumbled into dust.  
How each blow broke them a bit further, until there was nothing left.  
It was crazy.  
But it had nothing to do with strength, that he knew.  
They weren't weak.  
His mom most certainly wasn't.  
Quite the opposite, actually.

If someone would ask him, he would say that abused women were the strongest persons one could ever meet.  
After all, surviving a life filled with humiliation and hatred wasn't reserved for those who were weak.  
Loving someone who was broken and beyond saving even less.  
So, no… they weren't weak.  
They were women with two faces.  
But there were only a few who would agree with him.  
Who would understand.

'_A message spelled out in a language that only those who have been there can read…'_

He could only admire Charley for breaking free, because that's what she did.  
Maybe it had been Throttle who had pulled the trigger, but she had broken herself free right before he did.  
Which was good.  
That meant that there was still enough left of her.

Unfortunately for him, she wasn't only strong but persistent as well.  
Because despite his not so subtle response, she just continued her search for his buttons.  
Well, perhaps it was _because _of his not so subtle response.  
Perhaps she had already found the right button.  
Nevertheless, with her next attempt she came dangerously close.  
_Too_ close.  
"I don't think it's that ridiculous. She's obviously doing something to you. But it scares you. Because you're convinced that your heart belongs to…"  
_Harley._  
Without thinking, his hand reached for the medallion that was thoroughly hidden under his shirt.

_No._

He wasn't doing this.  
Not now.  
Not ever.  
Not even with her.  
_Charley_.  
Charley, who he trusted with his entire heart and soul, even though they hardly knew each other.  
_Oh no.  
_Not even with her.  
And so, he swirled around to stop her before she could finish that sentence, even though he now realized that he never told her Harley's name.  
But it didn't matter.  
All that mattered was that he wasn't ready.  
He would _never _be ready.  
"This ain't about her! It's about Throttle…"

The moment he dropped that name, she fell silent as she still looked at him with those piercing green eyes that made him want to run away and never look back.  
He managed to stay put though.  
Just like Stoker taught him.  
_Atta boy.  
_But then, she shook her head with her mouth in a tight line and he narrowed his eyes when he realized what was going on here.  
_What the actual fuck?  
_  
She didn't believe him.  
T_hat _just became painfully obvious.  
_Wow.  
_She obviously had her own perspective of what was happening here.  
As if he would use Throttle to escape from her a little bit too eager _'on button-pushing' _fingers.  
Well, maybe he would, but it wasn't like that.  
Not this time.  
This was real.

Still, she continued her search, clearly determined not to skip any detail, no matter how dark they were.  
Not respecting the fact that some things needed to be left alone.  
"You're in denial, I get it, but let me tell you something..."  
_Oh, no, no, no, no.  
_He wouldn't let her _tell _him something.  
It was time that _he _told _her_ something.  
Enough was just enough.  
She needed to know the truth.  
"He _loves _you, Charley."

Well, that _did_ make a huge impact, even he could tell, her jaw dropping on her knees being the biggest clue.  
Which was good, because it took her attention away from him.  
It forced her to look at the other problem here.  
And it wasn't the girl with her peculiar eyes that was the problem.  
Well, she was obviously a problem, but not the _main _problem.  
No, these credits went to their little agreement.

But again, she didn't believe him, because after staring at him for a while, her face darkened and she folded her arms as she put her chin the air.  
"He doesn't. He made that very clear when he told me that we couldn't be together."  
_Was this woman stubborn, or what?  
_And here she was, accusing him of being in denial.  
_How typical. _

Still, even he with his limited capacity to empathize couldn't miss the pain that was audible in her voice.  
That was visible in her eyes.  
Looking at her, he realized something.  
Throttle had hurt her.  
As in; _really _hurt her.  
That night, when they were forced to leave Camp Hope.  
And it all made sense now.  
It was a bit painful, maybe, but it at least made sense.  
_Finally_, something made sense.

He wasn't sure if he was right, though.  
He could just ask, of course.  
_But what if he was wrong?  
_She would skin him alive, at the very least.  
_But what if he was right?  
_Well, in that case…  
In that case he wasn't sure if she was ready to be true to herself.  
Only one way to find out.  
The time had come to push some of _her _buttons.  
And so he did.

"Did he tell you why?", he asked straight to the point as he did a few steps into her direction.  
Her lower lip started to tremble, but she took a deep breath to control her emotions and succeeded, strong as she was.  
"Because apparently, he has a girlfriend", she answered flatly as she ran a trembling hand through her auburn-colored hair.  
And just like that, the tables were turned.  
_Oh, they were turned, alright.  
_It was now _her_ who was avoiding _his_ gaze.  
It was now her who was being all uncomfortable and all and it felt like a breath of fresh air.  
To be in control again.

Without stopping, he closed the gap between them, driven by the strong urge to tell her what he knew.  
To ease her pain.  
To ease his guilt.  
That maddening guilt.  
_Gosh, what had he done?_

When he was standing in front of her, he gently took her chin between his fingers, thereby forcing her to look at him.  
"Listen to me very carefully, because you're about to witness something that probably won't happen again and that is me telling you like it is, which I usually don't in situations such as this one simply because I either don't care or believe it ain't my business…-"  
He took a moment to breathe after squeezing out a sentence that long before he continued.  
"_But _lemme tell ya this. I'm not sure what's going on between Throttle and Carbine, for their bond is beyond incomprehensible, but I _do _know my bro inside and out. And I know for a fact that he's absolutely crazy about ya. Even beyond that. He's hopelessly in love with ya, babe. Trust me, I know. I've never seen him like this before. Not even with Carbine."

She studied his face as he was talking, probably searching for a sign that he was lying -_again!-_, but the thing was; he wasn't.  
Not this time.  
He was finally doing the right thing.  
Something he should've done earlier.  
It felt weird, though.  
To be this honest and sincere.  
To talk about feelings and stuff.  
It cost him a lot, for it meant he needed to be… _vulnerable.  
__Ugh_, another dirty word.  
Another thing he hated to the core, because being vulnerable meant lowering his walls.  
But with Charley, it somehow seemed easier.  
_A friend…_

Next to that, it was the _least_ he could do for Throttle.  
For his bro.  
His bro, who he had betrayed like never before by allowing himself to give in to these damned hormones.  
And he now knew that Throttle was right.  
He was right all along, as usual.  
It wasn't worth it.  
It would _never_ be worth it.  
Not even the amazing sex he had with this insanely hot creature.  
_No_.  
Not even that.  
He needed to fix this.  
If it wasn't too late, that is.

In the meantime, Charley had managed to find back her voice again and she looked up at him, her eyes wide open.  
"But… but you told me that she was his girlfriend…"  
_Oh shit_.  
He did, huh?  
_Busted_.  
"I lied", he simply answered, determined to stay on this path of honesty, even though it scared him to death.

That made impact, too.  
Well, he couldn't really blame her, now could he?  
It was a stupid move to make.  
Telling her that Carbine was Throttle's girlfriend, even though he had no idea what was going on between these two.  
Well, in his defense, he was convinced that he was telling her the truth at that moment.  
But he hadn't only lied to Charley.  
He had lied to himself as well.  
It all had to do with him getting what he wanted.  
Which was lower than low.  
He was officially the worst bro ever.  
_Yep.  
_He totally was.

"You… you lied? But he said… Why? Why did you lie? Why would you do that?", the human female stuttered, clearly, this made no sense to her at all.  
Well, it did to him.  
And now it was time to drop the bomb.  
_Oh boy_.  
No going back now.  
"It was a competition. I wanted you first. I knew it would decrease his chances with you. That's why."

She had turned away her gaze while he confessed his sins to her and now, she just stared at a point on the ground.  
It made him more than nervous and he swallowed with difficulty as he pulled his bandana, his heart already racing another round of a motocross again.  
Or perhaps it had never reached the finish in the first place.  
He had no idea.  
All he knew was that he wanted her to say something.  
_Anything.  
_But she didn't.  
She clearly needed some time to process all this.

If only he could stand the silence.  
But he couldn't.  
He hated silence.  
It gave room to things he didn't want to hear.  
Things he didn't want to feel.  
"Look, sweetheart, for what it's worth, I definitely ain't proud of what I did and I would tell ya that I'm sorry if I knew how. But you need to know that this whole… uh... _competition thingy_ was _my _idea and mine alone. Not his. I dragged him into it without his knowledge and…"  
"But he said that you were telling the truth", she whispered straight through his pathetic explanation and Vinnie fell silent for a moment, biting his lower lip to force himself not to continue talking.

She looked up, her eyes already wide open again.  
The poor girl had to process some brutal shocks in a short matter of time, that's for sure.  
"When I asked him if you were telling the truth, he told me you that did… That we couldn't be together. That it would always be her…"  
_Ouch.  
_That must have hurt.  
The glance in her green eyes confirmed that.  
"I guess he lied too", he eventually said softly, because it was now very clear to him that he did.  
It had to be.

What he _didn't_ know was why the tan-furred mouse would do that.  
Lie to her.  
Why he would give up his chance to be with this fantastic human being, who obviously had feelings for him as well.  
He hadn't only denied himself a great shot at happiness by turning her down, no, even worse.  
He had _deliberately _chosen to spend the rest of his life with the queen of all bitches.  
_Man_.  
His older bro clearly had to learn a thing or two about the definition of good taste.

Either way, he suddenly had another realization.  
Damn, he had more realizations on this day than he had in his entire life.  
This was crazy.  
This whole conversation was crazy.  
Even beyond that.  
But that wasn't the point now.  
The point was that Charley wasn't angry with him.  
At least, that's what he concluded because she didn't start yelling at him.  
She didn't hit him either, something he was kind of grateful for.  
After all, he had seen her moves.  
Not something he wanted to experience from up close.  
Even he had some self-preservation left inside of him.

Still, she had every right to do both.  
But she didn't and that while he just admitted to her that he had played a competition in the foulest way to get into her pants.  
Okay, okay, it wasn't only about the competition.  
She obviously did something to him, even though it wasn't love.  
_Still man...  
_There was no excuse.  
_No_.  
There wasn't.

But instead of getting mad at him like she probably should've done, she let out her breath and looked him in the eye.  
"I owe you an apology."  
_What the...  
__Okay_, he was officially lost now.  
This whole thing just didn't make any sense.  
_Women_.  
They were just so weird, honestly...  
To share his confusion with her, he blinked a few times with a frown on his pretty face, but before he could say anything, she already continued.  
"I uh… I too did something I'm not proud of, I guess… no… _definitely_ not proud of…", she mumbled, fiddling with her blouse with her eyes already down again.  
_What the fuck was she talking about?_

But again, it suddenly hit him like a meteor.  
_Shit_, this was starting to get ridiculous.  
But he remembered now.  
_Right…  
_Gosh, he was just so easily distracted, it was downright annoying sometimes.  
Either way, it turned out that he was right after all.  
Now all she needed to do was say it out loud.  
But that didn't come easy on her, he could tell.  
Well, it wasn't really that hard to miss, with her stutter and cheeks as red as the sand on Mars and all.  
"I uh… Well, I…"  
He decided to put her out of her misery.  
Really, it was almost painful to watch.  
"You used me. I know."

She closed her mouth with a clap and her cheeks turned even redder.  
"God, it sounds terrible if you put it like that but… yeah... I kind of did…I guess...I'm so sor…"  
"_Don't…", _he cut her off again as he held up his hand, simply because he wasn't able to just stand here and listen to her apologizing while he was just as bad as her.  
But he didn't want to snap at her either, she didn't deserve that, so he took a deep breath before he tried again.  
"Don't tell me you're sorry. We both did something we ain't proud of. And it's not like you broke my heart, so don't worry about it."

But of course, she saw right through him.  
Well, not about the whole broken heart thingy.  
He was telling the truth about that part, after all.  
She knew.  
But there was still that other part...  
"You feel guilty", she concluded tonelessly.  
_And the winner is… Charley 'I love to push buttons in my free time' Davidson.  
__Whoopdidoo..._

He suddenly had enough of this.  
Enough of talking.  
Enough of being honest.  
Enough of being vulnerable.  
But the words just kept coming.  
She was truly gifted, that he knew for sure now.  
"Of course I feel guilty! He's my bro. My family. And I betrayed him in the worst possible way. I knew he liked you. I knew and yet, I didn't stop. I didn't let go. No, I just wanted to win and claim the prize for myself, as usual…", he babbled as he started his pacing again.  
_Seriously, stop talking.  
_He was making a fool out of himself.  
This was his problem, not hers.

But she seemed to believe otherwise, because she stopped him by grabbing his arm.  
When he turned around to face her again, she laid a hand on his cheek and when their eyes met, he saw tears shimmering in hers.  
_Oh shit.  
_Please, don't cry.  
He was so not good with crying women.  
No, he wasn't.  
Although her tears told him that she was sincerely upset.  
That meant something, right?  
_Right...  
__Welcome aboard the boat of guilt, Charley-girl._

"It wasn't your fault, Vin. I practically jumped on you, remember? I even asked you to keep it a secret. God… I _never_ should've asked that from you. It's no excuse but I was just _so_ angry. Hurt by his rejection and there you were, all willing and all... I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry that I put you through this. It was never my intention to come between you and your best friend but I did it anyway. I… I wasn't thinking straight. I never would've asked you that if I was. I know how close you guys are… I know how important he is to you. God, I feel terrible..."

It was almost admiring how she was able to put this all on herself every time she opened her mouth.  
But this wasn't just her fault.  
They _both _had been there, that night on the roof.  
And they _both_ had made a gruesome mistake, that night on the roof.  
After all, it takes two to… _tango…_ hehe.  
"Well, you weren't the only one who wasn't thinking straight, sweetheart. But what's done is done. We can't change the past. And I need to live with the consequences of my actions, which is nothing new, by the way. But not you, sweetheart. You don't owe him anything. I do. So, _please_... Stop apologizing", he told her as he gently took her hand to get it off his cheek.

It was strange, how easy it was to talk to her.  
He even said _'please'_.  
And he didn't even feel _that _uncool.  
Which was shocking, to say the least, for he couldn't remember when it was the last time that he had a conversation as open such as this one.  
It was something he usually avoided at all costs.  
But not with her.  
_A friend...  
__A friend sounded good._

"I still don't regret it, though. It was an amazing experience", she whispered after a long silence.  
_Honestly…  
_Was she still surprised?  
"You expected less? _Ugh_, come _on_. You with your _'just sex'_. I told ya, babe, sex with me ain't '_just sex'_", he teased her, giving her one of his trademark smiles as he wiggled his eyebrows, happy to diffuse the tension a bit before his heart would give out or something like that.  
_Man_, he was way too cool to die.  
Charley rolled her eyes, but with a small smile around her lips as well.  
"Yeah, yeah, you made your point… you're amazing."  
"I am. The best! Always have been and always will be", he agreed proudly and she shook her head, chuckling softly.

But then her face grew serious again and she gave a little squeeze in his hand that was still holding hers.  
"It's important to me that you know how I feel. I mean, maybe I uh… _sort of_ used you, but you need to know it wasn't just that. I _do_ like you. But as a friend."  
_Ahw.  
__How cute.  
_Vinnie smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"You don't have to explain, sweetheart. I know. Because the same goes for me. It wasn't just about the competition, ya know. Mostly about you being this brutally attractive, because you are… Anyway, we both just needed something, so we gave it to each other and had a great time doing so. But, and I can't believe that I of all mice is saying this, it can't happen again. You can't jump on me like that, ever again, for I simply can't resist you…"

"I won't, I promise. There's too much at stake here…", she added softly and he caught himself wondering what was going to happen between her and Throttle now she knew the truth.  
But he didn't ask.  
That was up to her.  
He had done his part.  
_Oh, yeah.  
_Without a doubt.  
_He came, he saw, he conquered.  
_Like he always did.  
_Man_.  
"Are you gonna tell him?", she asked a bit hesitant, as if she could read his mind.  
Maybe she could, though.  
Somehow, they seemed to be on the same page every time they were close to each other.

"Honestly? I dunno. I'm not sure what will happen if I do…", he answered with a sigh as he let go of her hand and rubbed his arms.  
Well, he _did_ have a hunch and it wasn't a pretty one.  
But he wasn't going to share that particular hunch with her.  
That was between him and Throttle.  
"He deserves to know, don't you agree?", the human female pointed out the obvious.  
_Oh, yeah.  
_He totally agreed.  
But was this the right moment to tell him?  
While they were on this mission?

Then again, would there ever be a right moment to tell your best friend that you betrayed him?  
He wasn't sure.  
Probably not.  
But it was just a guess.  
Being open and vulnerable wasn't exactly his expertise.  
_Ha.  
_Not even close.

Either way, given Throttle's previous behavior when it came to Charley, this would _definitely_ distract him.  
And distraction meant death in times of war.  
He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that would happen.  
And so, he made a decision.  
"When the time is there, I'll tell him."  
That was a promise.  
And he _always_ kept his promises.  
_Bikers Honor.  
_Okay, maybe there were a few exceptions, but hey, nobody knew and he intended to keep it that way.

After staring at her feet for a while, she opened her mouth again.  
"We really messed up, huh?"  
_Uh, yes.  
_"We did. Big time…"  
Vinnie then glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.  
"So… about us… how does friends _without_ benefits sound?", he asked a bit sheepishly with a tilted head.  
Charley smiled and punched him softly on the arm.  
"BFF's."  
He arched a brow in confusion.  
"What does that even mean?"  
"Best friends forever."

Blinking a few times, he rubbed his chin with wrinkled nose, not sure what to think about this.  
Somehow, it sounded so… _uncool_.  
Charley smiled.  
"Never mind. It's a girl thing anyway."  
But then, her smile faded again and he already knew what was coming.  
He didn't stop her, though.  
He wasn't sure why not.  
But he just didn't.

"Vin?"  
"Hm?"  
"I meant what I said. You're my friend. That means I'm here if you wanna talk. Always. But only when you're ready."  
After staring at the sky for a little while, Vinnie heaved a sigh and shifted his weight to his heels as he put his hands in his pockets, suddenly not knowing what to do with them.  
"I know. Maybe I will. One day…"  
_Only when you're ready...  
_Would he ever be ready?

"Anyway… Are you at least ready to go back inside again? Or are you gonna bite her head off the moment she only looks at you?", Charley asked nonchalantly as she pushed herself off the wall.  
The white-furred mouse took a deep breath and let the air whoosh out via his mouth again, ignoring her scent that made his heart beat faster because that's what he owed to Throttle.  
"I guess I am. Ready. I still don't agree with this whole plan, though. It sucks. Big time", he quickly added, taking this moment as an opportunity to make his point because that's just who he was.  
He liked to make his point.  
Next to that, he just _loved_ to hear himself talk.  
Charley patted him on the back before she set course to the door.  
"I know. You don't have to, either. As long as you won't shred her to pieces, we're all good."

When she reached the door, she laid a hand on the handle, but then she stopped and looked over her shoulder.  
"I'm curious about one thing though. Why do you want her dead?"  
Yeah, why _did_ he want her dead?  
_Good question.  
_He had no idea.  
Then again, did he _really_ want her dead?  
_No.  
_Not really.  
He just didn't want her near him.  
That was different, ya know.

But what to say to Charley?  
_Well, how about the truth?  
_It was the only thing she would accept anyway.  
If he lied, she would probably take him in one of her insane martial arty-farty headlocks and hold him until he would spill the truth.  
_Gosh, the thought alone.  
_That would be so embarrassing.  
A major blow to his ego.  
His poor, _poor _ego, that had already suffered enough this day.  
More than enough.  
For at least an entire year if he had something to say about it.

So, he gently pushed her aside and grabbed the handle as he turned his head towards her.  
"I don't want her _dead_, I want her _gone _and apparently, you _already_ know why", he whispered in her ear and without giving her a chance to react, he pulled the door open and flashed her one of his most charming smiles as he build back his walls with the speed of light.  
Or maybe even better said; as he put his mask back on.  
_Hide your face so the world will never find you.  
_"After you, milady."  
And with that, the conversation was closed.


	29. Chapter 29

Yo yo yo!

How are you, my precious readers?  
I hope you're all safe and sound.

So, for starters; thank you so so so so much for the reviews, follows, favorites, views, for _everything_ that has something to do with you reading my story.  
I bet y'all get awfully tired of hearing me say that all the time, but I just can't say it enough.  
Your support is all I need to keep going, despite all these horrible writer blocks.  
I wish there were words that could express my gratitude, but there's only thank you, and that doesn't even begin to cover it.  
But okay, it'll have to do.  
SO THANK YOU!

Second; I've experienced one of the coolest things in my life and I really wanna share it with you guys.  
Last week, Rob Paulsen (voice actor Throttle) did a live signing on Instagram and I was a part of it!  
I ordered a picture online, along with many others, of course, and that night (European time) he went live to talk to us and sign the pictures one by one and oh my god, you guys, it was so F-ing awesome!

He told stories about his career, about the jobs he did (TMNT, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brian, BMFM of course, etc.), he even said the whole _'In this wild and wooly universe of ours'_ quote with Throttle's voice, same goes for_ 'Let's rock and ride!'_ (I had asked if he could write that on my picture, seemed only right, I figured).  
And he said my name, called me a kid (how cute) and _'my dear' _(even cuter), told me (and the rest that was watching of course) that his wife likes this character the most because he sounds a whole lot sexier than he looks in real life (his words, not mine), but I could only agree with the sexy part.  
I think I speak for all of us when I say that we just looooooooooove Throttle's voice, hehe.

He also told that he had talked to Ian Ziering (voice actor Vinnie) a little while ago and that they all, including Dorian Harewood (voice actor Modo), would definitely join the party again if someone would decide to bring the show back.  
It's all in the possibilities, so let us pray ;)  
I mean, how cool would that be, huh?  
Although I hope that _if_ they do, it will be the original series and not the 2006 version because in my opinion, the original series is waaaay better.  
But hey, that's a matter of taste.  
I hope I didn't offend anyone. XD  
Not my intention.

Either way, the picture has been sent to me, I hope to find it in the mail any time soon!

So, with that being said, on with the story!  
And holy shit, this chapter is LONG.  
So make sure you've got some time when you start reading.  
Well, unless it doesn't bother you to read it in parts, that is.  
Anyway, enjoy! ^^

* * *

**Chapter 29 **

'_Behind every mask there is a face, and behind that a story.'_

_Meanwhile inside the barn…  
_Throttle slowly sat down on the chair again, looking at the girl who followed Charley with her eyes.  
When the door closed behind her, the girl now looked at Throttle, her face blank.  
"Trouble in paradise, huh?", she asked with her slightly husky voice as she shifted her weight to get a bit more comfortable.  
The tan-furred mouse wasn't sure what she meant by that and he suddenly had the strange urge to ask her what her point of view was.  
To ask her what she was seeing.  
Some pathetic way of finding out if there was still a chance for him, which was _beyond_ ridiculous because the girl didn't even know them, so what made her opinion suddenly so important?  
He had no idea.  
What he _did_ know was that he was clearly starting to get desperate, something that wasn't only dangerous in times like these, but also nothing like him.  
He used to be in control of almost everything.  
_Yeah, well.  
__The famous good old days, huh?_

Either way, he eventually decided that it wasn't important what she meant.  
Or what she thought.  
Or what she saw.  
Her point of view wasn't important.  
At least, not for now.  
And frankly, it wasn't her business either.  
So, he ignored her comment as he leaned back in the chair, the fingers of his right hand resting against his lower lip.  
"I've got a proposal for you", he eventually said calmly, a thing he was quite proud of, for he was everything but calm.  
There was a tornado of emotions whirling inside him and he suddenly felt so tired.  
But, lucky for him, Vinnie wasn't the only one who knew how to put on a mask.  
And so he did.  
Because he had to.

The young human girl studied his face for a moment, as if she was sensing his distress, what was quite possible, for he had learned in the short time that they had been on this crazy planet that humans seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to feelings and emotions.  
And even though they weren't capable of Mind Walking like the Martian Cave Mouse population was, they still came close enough.  
Which was remarkable, to say the least.  
And quite inconvenient, sometimes.  
Not this time though, for it seemed that she couldn't find whatever she was looking for.  
Probably something she could use against them.  
_Thank the Mothers of Mars for his poker face.  
_Nevertheless, she rested her head against the pole again, her two-colored eyes closed as she gave him a nod.  
"I'm listening."

After making himself comfortable in his chair, Throttle shot a quick look at Modo, who nodded in return to tell him that he was ready for anything, which was good because if the girl wouldn't take their deal, things could only get ugly.  
The tan-furred mouse truly hoped that it wouldn't come that far, because what would they do if it did?  
He didn't want to answer that question, not now, so he quickly shook off these unpleasant thoughts and focussed his attention back on the girl.  
"So… After hearing your uh… _motivation_, I've come to the conclusion that there's a slight deviation in our chain of command", he started, studying his nails to keep his appearance calm and in control.  
She didn't seem to follow him, because she opened her eyes with a frown on her young and quite pretty face.  
"What does that even mean?"  
Modo cleared his throat and she now pointed her burning eyes at the grey-furred giant, who didn't even flinch.  
"It means, little miss, that we ain't enemies", he told her, leaning against one of the poles with folded arms and one foot up.

Throttle nodded as he kept a close eye on her.  
"He's right. We're not enemies. We _share _one. A so-called common enemy."  
The young human narrowed her eyes as she looked back at the tan-furred leader, who could see that her brain started to connect the dots.  
"The fishheads", she concluded tonelessly and Throttle nodded.  
"Exactly. So, in light of that fact, we've decided to let you go. Not just that, we will help you free your brother as well."  
Her two-colored eyes now grew big and her mouth dropped, clearly, she hadn't seen this one coming.  
Well, not really surprising.  
After all, second chances were rare if not even non-existent in times of war and as he had noticed before, she dealt with some serious trust issues.  
"Wait… _what_? Just like that?", she eventually managed to bring out, still very confused by this sudden turn in the conversation.  
The tan-furred leader just gave her a friendly smile, to let her know that he was telling the truth.  
"Just like that."

But, as expected, the girl shook her head, clearly not trusting this offer, or him, for that matter.  
"I don't believe you. There's gotta be more to it. Like… what's in it for you, huh? What do you want in return? There has to be something. I mean… there's _always _something."  
Throttle let out his breath as he leaned forward in his chair, his right foot resting on a small wooden box that stood close to him.  
"You're smart. Suspicious, too. A dangerous combination, that I know. But it's probably what kept you alive so far…", he said slowly as he studied her face, somehow intrigued by this young girl that had managed to survive in a world like this, all by herself.  
Or perhaps with some help from her brother.  
_Still_.  
It couldn't have been easy.  
And yet, here she was.  
Being very much alive.  
And being right.  
Because there was, indeed, something he wanted in return.  
Well, _two _things, to be exact.

"I want you to help us bring down Limburger. Next to that, I would really appreciate it if you stop trying to kill us… It's kind of annoying, actually…", he added with a meaningful look on his face.  
She stared at him for a moment, but then her lips curled into a smile, a _genuine_ smile, revealing a set of sparkling white teeth.  
Somehow, she was amused by this addition and for a moment, she looked even younger.  
Innocent, even.  
But soon thereafter, her face grew serious again and she too leaned forward, her cold eyes looking at him with an intensity that would've made him feel uncomfortable if his experiences hadn't shaped him into the imperturbable mouse he was nowadays.  
But he already knew what was next.  
It was practically written upon her face.  
"How do I know that I can trust you? That you're telling the truth?", she demanded with a low voice, the threat that was hidden underneath it not really hard to miss.

But as mentioned before, it took a lot more than a young girl with trust issues to rattle the leader of the famous Biker Mice From Mars.  
_Like a human named Charley, for instance...  
_Which was both true and _so_ not the point right now.  
The tan-furred mouse gave himself a mental shake before he shrugged and slumped back in his chair again.  
"You don't. I can only give you my word."  
"That's hardly enough", she snapped back, but there was a slightly desperate tone audible, telling Throttle that he was coming closer.  
_Good_.  
"It _is_ enough. You see, I'm a mouse of my word. I'm willing to go far to keep it. But I'm willing to take things even a step further when it comes to protecting my family…"  
Without breaking eye contact, he slid off the chair and sat down on the small box with his elbows resting on his knees.  
Their noses now almost touched as he looked her straight in the eye.  
"If you agree to join our team, I _will_ protect you as one of us, simply because that's what you will be. One of us."

Silence dawned upon them after his last words slowly faded into nothingness, although the message he had given her still lingered in the air.  
_A place to belong...  
_And as he kept a close eye on her, he could see something change in her eyes.  
The cold got replaced with something else.  
_Doubt_.  
It was clear to him that she wanted to believe him with everything she had in her, yearning for a place where she wouldn't be alone anymore.  
But would she be able to?  
To trust him?

Truth be told, he had no idea.  
Even though he hardly knew her, she was obviously a complicated person.  
Troubled.  
Damaged.  
Scarred by this war, this useless and cruel war.  
A war that was raging on for six years already, so if he had to guess, she was only a child when it all had begun.  
And her experiences had shaped her into this mistrustful person, this… _damaged _person after being forced to grow up sooner and faster than was healthy for a girl of her age.  
The war had affected her in many ways, just like it had done to him.  
And Modo.  
And Vinnie.  
_Hm_.  
Vinnie_..._

Perhaps that was the reason why the white-furred mouse had suddenly gotten so anxious.  
It wasn't because she was a girl.  
Or that she had beaten him twice on a row.  
It wasn't an ego thing.  
Well, not entirely.  
Because looking at her, he suddenly realized that his young bro and this girl had a whole lot more in common than just their amazing two-colored eyes.  
He wasn't really sure where this brainchild was based on, but it just magically arrived and strangely enough, it made sense.  
It _all_ made sense now.

Vinnie must have felt it too.  
It had to be.  
Because, as usual, when something -or someone- came close, _too_ close, he did a full 180 to run the other way without looking back and _shit, _he just did it again.  
His hostile behavior was nothing more than a defense.  
A wall so high, that no one could climb it.  
To keep her on a distance, for she might be able to trigger something he didn't want to be triggered.  
_Oh, Vinnie…  
_If only he could understand that love and connection were the only two things that could help one heal.  
That being lonely might _feel _safe, but was one's downfall at the same time.  
No one should be alone.

This… _epiphany_ made his heart beat faster, all of a sudden.  
It was beyond childish and perhaps even selfish, next to far-fetched, but if he was right…  
If he was right, it would mean that whatever was happening between his young bro and Charley wasn't love.  
Well, not _true_ love.  
Perhaps there was still a chance…  
But then it felt as if something slapped him in the face.  
Something with a light-grey fur and piercing brown eyes.  
_Carbine_.  
Next to that, let us not forget that Charley had chosen Vinnie over him.  
Perhaps he didn't have an ego that big as the white-furred adrenaline junkie, he _did_ own some healthy manly pride and being second choice didn't exactly stroke that pride.  
Assuming that she would still want him, that is…

"Throttle? Throttle, bro, are you okay?"  
Modo's voice broke him out of his thoughts and the tan-furred mouse suddenly became aware of his surroundings again.  
Blinking a few times, he looked up at the grey-furred giant, who looked back a bit worried.  
"Sorry, I guess I zoomed out for a bit…", Throttle mumbled as his eyes darted back to the girl and as soon as she opened her mouth again, he knew that he wasn't the only one thinking about the white-furred rascal.  
"Your white friend doesn't seem to be thrilled with this plan of yours…", she said slowly and Throttle didn't miss the shadow that flickered across her face.  
A shadow of insecurity.  
It made her more human than the whole _'nothing can get to me'_-attitude, which was good.  
Because he now knew that he had made the right decision.  
There was clearly a warm and sensitive person hiding behind that mask, telling him that even though she might be scarred and damaged, she wasn't lost yet.  
It gave him the confidence he needed to know for sure that this was the right path to follow.  
Sometimes, a mouse needed some confirmation.  
Even a leader.  
_Especially _a leader.

"Don't worry about him. He'll come around", he told her with a warm smile, knowing that this was hardly an explanation, nor did it serve as a reassurance.  
Even worse, at this point, Throttle had no idea if he would.  
Come around.  
But he wasn't planning on saying that out loud.  
Saying things out loud made them real.  
And in this case, it was better if it remained what it was.  
A thought.  
A feeling.  
A hunch.

Strangely enough, it seemed to be enough for her as well.  
For now, that is.  
But after another long silence, after fighting an inner battle bigger than she probably showed them, the girl nodded, the doubt in her eyes now replaced by determination.  
"Okay. You'll help me free my brother and I'll help you bring down Limburger in return. With pleasure, of course. I've got some serious unfinished business with that fish…"  
"And…", Throttle encouraged her with yet another meaningful look.  
"And I shall stop trying to kill you…", she muttered under her breath with her eyes lowered, thereby avoiding his gaze.

Honestly, the resemblance with a certain white-furred someone was, again, striking.  
It told him that things could only get… _interesting _from here.  
He could only hope that Vinnie would, indeed, come around and give this girl a chance, for there was clearly so much more to her.  
But with Vinnie, one never knew.  
He was as erratic as much as he was stubborn.  
_Now there's a dangerous combination for you…  
_But not the really the point now.  
_Man_, he was really distracted, for him.  
Another sign that he was tired.  
Because he was.  
_So, so tired…  
_Giving himself another mental shake, he gave the girl another warm smile.  
"I guess we've got ourselves a deal. Modo, cut her loose, will ya? She's no longer our prisoner."  
And with that, the team just gained another valuable soldier.

_**…**_

"There ya go…", Modo mumbled as he cut the last rope and he rose back on his feet, giving the girl some room to do the same.  
"Thanks…"  
Just when she was back on her feet, the door opened and Charley walked back inside, soon followed by Vinnie.  
Throttle's gaze landed on Charley first and a shock went through his body the moment he laid his bionic eyes on her.  
As if he saw her for the first time again.  
It was crazy, what she did to him.  
It was pathetic, too, given the current circumstances.  
As if he was back to being a teenager again, having a secret crush on someone from who he knew would never be his.  
Yearning for her at a safe distance, scared to come closer.  
Scared to shatter this bubble that was called unrealistic love, but it was all he had and he held onto it as if his life depended on it.  
Perhaps it did.  
Losing it would crush him, even though this whole situation was slowly starting to take its toll.

And he suddenly wasn't sure how long he was able to keep this up.  
He just needed to forget about her for so many reasons.  
_Obvious reasons.  
_But she was just so beautiful, it almost made him want to cry.  
_Sometimes, the heart beats the head.  
_Modo's heavy voice echoed through his head and as he still looked at the human being that was able to rock his foundation like no one ever had been able to, he knew his big bro was right.  
But it didn't make it easier.  
Nothing did.  
If only he could take her in his arms.  
If only he could tell her how much she meant to him.  
_If only he could call her his…_

But he couldn't.  
After all, it was he who turned her down, it was he who had chosen Carbine and Charley…  
Well, apparently Charley had made her decision as well.  
If only he could accept that.  
He thought he could.  
Under the guise of; _'As long as she's happy...'  
_Just as his little bro.  
They _both_ deserved to be happy, more than anyone.  
It didn't really occur to him that perhaps he too deserved some happiness.  
And it was now clear to him that some things weren't as simple as they seemed.  
This whole… love triangle..._ thing _was the proof of that.  
It was beyond complicated and where he usually knew exactly what to do, he now stood in the dark, completely blind and deaf.  
And he _hated _it.

But if he thought things were confusing now, well… it all became even more complicated from the moment Charley caught his gaze.  
Because as soon as their eyes locked, her cheeks turned red and she quickly looked the other way.  
As if she was ashamed of something.  
But what?  
Throttle narrowed his eyes behind his glasses in both confusion and suspicion before his gaze landed on Vinnie, who looked like he had calmed down again.  
And he wondered...  
_What happened outside this building that was called a barn?_

Then again, did he even _want_ to know?  
Did he _really_ want to know how Charley had been able to calm him down in such a short matter of time?  
He knew like no other how hard it was to settle his young and overactive bro, especially when he's as riled up as he was when he stormed outside.  
A bad feeling crept over him as the image of them on the roof flashed before his eyes.  
How peaceful Vinnie had been asleep later that night...  
Perhaps a '_bad feeling'_ wasn't really covering it.  
Because it actually made him sick to the stomach.  
_Could it be?  
__Man_, would they _really_ do that?  
While he and Modo were inside, only a few feet away from them?  
When the only thing that separated them were a few thin red-colored walls?

Knowing Vinnie, he definitely would.  
Throttle knew all too well that the young mouse wasn't exactly subtle when it came to his conquest.  
Then again, with Harley, things had been different.  
_He _had been different.  
Shy, insecure, perhaps even… _squeamish_.  
And what about Charley?  
Would she do that?  
It somehow didn't fit with the image he had of her.  
But then again, did he _actually_ know her?  
No.  
Not really.  
_Still…_

Again, it was Modo who broke him out of his, as he would like to call it; _unpleasant_ and _sickening_ thoughts by clearing his throat excessively loud.  
At the same time, his tan-colored fur bristled and Throttle frowned as he forced himself to snap back to reality again.  
Vinnie and Charley stood on his left, both looking at the girl that stood next to Modo on his right, rubbing her wrists that were probably sore because of the rope.  
The tension rose rapidly to an astonishing level and the tan-furred leader now understood why his fur stood on end, for his sensitive senses had picked up this bad vibe before his brain could even process that it was there in the first place.  
But he knew now, just as he knew that he needed to step up, and fast too.

And while he was at it, he should give himself a huge inner scolding for being this distracted.  
_Again.  
_They counted on him to manage this addition to the group successfully.  
Like they always did.  
Counting on him.  
Next to that, Modo was giving him this look… this look that told him that he was worried again, just like he was when they first arrived at Camp Hope.  
This look that told him that things were, again, spinning out of control faster than a speeding bullet.  
_Yeah, well…  
_He didn't need Modo to know that was true.  
What a mess.  
It just didn't seem to end.

Either way, he quickly cleared his throat to break the almost suffocating silence.  
"Why don't we do a little round of introductions, huh? My name is Throttle…-", he introduced himself before pointing at his grey-furred bro, who was still studying him with that awful look on his face.  
"-... this do-gooder here is Modo…-"  
The latter gave his leader one last intense glance before his one eye landed on the girl and a warm and friendly smile appeared on his face because that's what he was.  
Warm and friendly.  
"It's a pleasure to meet ya, little miss."  
The girl stared at him as if he just fell out of the sky, probably stunned that chivalry hadn't died after all and despite everything, a smile curled Throttle's lips before he continued to the next person in line, a person a bit less warm and friendly at this moment.  
"-... the bundle of joy over there is Vinnie…-"

The words already left his mouth before he could stop them, but the white-furred youngster didn't even protest as he expected he would.  
He just stood there, with folded arms and twitching tail as he glared at the girl with gnashing teeth.  
She only winked back at him with a slightly challenging look on her face, which made him even more cranky, Throttle could tell.  
_Hm.  
_Perhaps he was wasn't as calm as he thought he was and so, to prevent this situation from escalating, he quickly laid a hand on Charley's shoulder.  
Again, without thinking.  
He felt her tense under his fingers and her heartbeat rose as well, which distracted him more than he could afford right now.  
But miraculously, he managed to keep his head in the game.  
"-...and last but _definitely_ not least… Charley."

The human female only looked at the girl with a blank face, clearly needing a bit more time to warm up to this person that had given them the amount of trouble like this particular specimen had done.  
Even though she wasn't acting as hostile as Vinnie, she obviously still wasn't pleased with her and the girl seemed to realize that neither words nor deeds could speed up the process of forgiveness at this point, because she just nodded to Charley before turning her gaze back to the tan-furred mouse in front of her, who was obviously the only one who she trusted at this point.  
Well, _trusted…  
_Perhaps that was too big a word.  
But maybe something that came close.  
Which was enough for now.  
"My name is Pippa, but please call me Pip. I hate my full name…", she started with a slightly disgusted look on her face and with that, she just added another thing on the list that she and Vinnie had in common.  
Without her knowing, of course.  
In fact, Throttle wasn't even sure if anyone else noticed all this besides him, Vinnie excluded.

"Anyway, usually I would say nice to meet ya, but given the current circumstances, I think I'm just gonna stick with uh… _hi_."  
"Fair enough", Throttle agreed with a small smile before he turned his head to face Vinnie and Charley.  
"Pip here has agreed with the terms, obviously, so that means she's one of us now. I expect you to treat her like one of us, despite our… well, let's just say _rough _start."  
He knew he was asking a lot right now, especially from Vinnie, but again, it was the bigger picture that mattered, although it pained him at the same time to just steamroll over his young bro's feelings like that.  
Then again, Vinnie would never admit that he had feelings in the first place, let alone blaming his leader for bypassing them.  
_Still_.

Charley was a bit less complicated, for she nodded as she let out her breath, probably knowing from her experience as a leader that sometimes, one needed to put aside any form of emotion for the greater good.  
This was one of those unfortunate occasions and so, she buried the so-called hatchet, although with reluctance, Throttle could tell.  
The human female put her hands in the pockets of her black leather pants as she shifted her weight from her toes back to her heels.  
"So, uhm… Pip. Welcome to the team… I guess?", she smiled a bit sheepishly with raised shoulders and eyebrows.  
It clearly took her some effort to swallow her pride, but she did it anyway and Throttle's respect for her grew even bigger.  
He knew how hard it was to stay focussed on the bigger picture while your emotions, along with the ones of those in your presence, pulled on you from all sides.  
It required a lot of strength not to let them win.  
Pip glanced at her from under her lashes, for the first time a bit uncomfortable, telling Throttle that she wasn't used to someone being nice to her, which was sad as it was understandable given the time they were currently living in.  
"Thanks… I guess?", she replied, her voice a few octaves higher as she ran a hand through her black hair, now almost desperately avoiding Charley's gaze.

It was then that everyone looked at Vinnie, even Throttle, although he wished they didn't.  
They probably shouldn't expect too much from the young mouse right now, but they did it anyway and with that, they backed him into a corner, although unintentionally.  
But a mouse in narrow became unpredictable and could thereby change already fragile situations such as this one rapidly, something the leader of the famous trio was trying to avoid at all costs.  
_And he was doing such a good job right now…  
__NOT. _

Vinnie must have felt the tension rising as well because his eyes grew big and he raised his hands with the palms pointed up.  
"What? Why are you guys looking at me like that? You really don't expect me to welcome her to the team, now do ya?", he asked with disbelief written upon his face as he now pointed at Pip without looking at her.  
"To hold hands and sing kumbaya all together like one happy family? Ah ah. No way. No. Fucking. Way."  
"What's kumbaya?", Modo asked with a frown before anyone else had the chance to react.  
Vinnie's arms fell limp next to his body again as he looked at Modo with a somehow tired look on his face, which was a rare thing.  
"Really, Modo? You _really_ just asked me that?"  
"I ah… I guess I did…", the grey-furred giant chuckled a bit sheepishly as he stared at the laser popping in and out his bionic arm, probably realizing that he was, obviously, missing the point here.

Well, Throttle couldn't say that it happened for the first time.  
He would never call his older bro dumb, for he wasn't.  
But he had these moments of… not being the brightest light among them… or _something_ like that.  
Usually, these moments were a source of entertainment, but not today.  
Although he couldn't stop himself from wondering as well what Vinnie meant with _'singing kumbaya'_...  
But he at least was smart enough to keep that to himself.  
Besides, the white-furred mouse had made his point anyway.  
_Definitely no member of the Pip fanclub..._

It was Charley who intervened by clapping in her hands.  
"Okay, so, since we don't really have time for this, I suggest that we prepare for departure. I'm gonna go search the house for food and water, since our own supply is running very low."  
She then glanced at the three mice with a thoughtful frown on her face before she made her way to the door, grabbing Pip in the process to take her with her.  
"You're coming with me, young lady. I can use an extra pair of hands."  
Before the young girl could even open her mouth to protest, they were already outside and silence dawned upon the three brothers in arm.

_It started with three..._

Throttle now understood that Charley had taken Pip with her to give them some time alone.  
So they could talk, from one brother to another, without any witnesses.  
To smooth out their issues, or even better said; so they could smooth things out with Vinnie.  
It was obvious to him that his young bro was still entirely against this whole plan to let Pip join the team.  
His whole body literally _breathed_ resistance.  
The words that came out of his mouth confirmed the message that his body was already radiating.  
"Oh, so now you already trust her enough to leave her alone with Charley, huh? Geez, what happened when we were outside anyway? You guys exchanged eternity rings while saying your vows?", Vinnie asked with a face like thunder and folded arms, the paragon of a child that didn't get his way.

_Yeah… What happened when you were outside…?  
_Throttle stopped himself right on time from asking his bro the same thing.  
Instead, he heaved a sigh while running a hand through his hair, not really in the mood for this kind of conversation.  
Even though he appreciated the fact that Charley had been thoughtful enough to give them some privacy, he already knew that talking some sense into the white-furred rebel was an absolute _no-go_ at this moment.  
It would never work.  
Not with Vinnie being in this mood.  
He wouldn't listen.  
He would only provoke.  
Provoke, until one of them snapped and somehow, the tan-furred mouse had the nagging feeling that would be him.

He was too tired for this.  
He had too much stuff going on in his head.  
And yet, he responded.  
It was almost a reflex.  
To keep things calm.  
_As befits a leader…  
_"Come on, Vin, you've seen the lady fight. She's more than capable of handling herself. But to answer your question, or at least the one that matters; yeah. I _do _trust Pip. You should do the same. She's not the enemy, bro."

Vinnie snorted and put his chin in the air, clearly not ready to surrender yet.  
"Anyone who messes with me and my family is an enemy by nature, so no… I _don't _trust her and I _never _will…"  
He then let his fuming eyes land on Throttle.  
"You should take your own advice and do the same. _Bro_."  
The tan-furred mouse threw his hands in the air in defeat, already done with this before it could even begin.  
"You know what? The hell with this. If you wanna sulk like a three year old, fine, but leave me out of it. Pip is part of our team now and that's final. How you're gonna deal with that is your problem now and yours alone. I don't wanna hear another word about it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go call Carbine to inform her about our delay. Because that's why we're here, remember? To help out our friends. It better won't be too late, Vincent. It _better_ won't be."  
And without waiting for a response, he snatched his helmet off his bike and marched outside.  
_Done_.  
He was done for today.

_...then there were only two..._

Modo followed Throttle with his eye until the door closed behind him before he let his gaze land on Vinnie.  
"Happy now?"  
Vinnie's eyes grew big as he raised his hands.  
"Say what now? I did nothing wrong!"  
The grey-furred giant arched a brow as he folded his arms.  
"No, you never do, huh?"  
"Now what's that supposed to mean? Never mind, I don't even wanna know, 'cause _I_ _ain't the problem here_! The problem is that you guys just _never_ listen to me! I'm telling ya, that girl is dangerous!", the white-furred adrenaline junkie continued his rant, but Modo wasn't having any of it.  
"Do you trust him?", he cut his young bro off with an almost compelling tone in his already heavy voice.

Vinnie fell silent for a moment, but then gave him a look that said _'Well... duh…'  
_"Of course I do", he eventually answered the question, clearly a bit suspicious about where Modo was getting at.  
The grey-furred giant nodded before he laid a hand on Vinnie's shoulder.  
"Then _trust _him. He knows what he's doing and if he says that the girl is to be trusted, then she _is _to be trusted."  
The fact that Vinnie's shoulder was feeling as hard as stone didn't elude Modo, telling him that his overactive bro was tensed and not just a little bit.  
There was clearly something bothering him, something big and he had the nagging feeling that it wasn't just about Pip.  
He tried to catch Vinnie's gaze, but of course, he kept his eyes lowered.  
Even worse, he still had that infuriating, toe-curling rebellious look on his face.  
But Modo didn't have the illusion that he was able to make his bro hold hands and sing kumbaya, whatever that meant, for he knew things weren't that simple, especially not with Vinnie.  
So, he clapped the young mouse on his shoulder to diffuse the tension a bit.  
"Just give her a chance, Vin. A chance to prove herself. That's all I'm asking."

The white-furred mouse shrugged as he bit his lower lip, the stubborn look now replaced with a thoughtful frown and Modo let him go, knowing this was all he would get right now.  
But he wasn't done yet.  
_Oh no.  
_Far from it.  
"And you really shouldn't push Throttle like that, man. He's struggling. Even _you _should be able to see that."  
He had to say, Vinnie's response surprised him more than he showed.  
Because in reality, it completely blew him away but he was smart enough not to show it, knowing it could force his bro back into his shell.  
And that was the last thing he needed right now.

Either way, instead of giving another round of protest as he expected he would, Vinnie's ears drooped and he dropped on the chair, his shoulders slumped.  
"I know…"  
_You do?  
_Modo quickly ate the words before they could leave his mouth and he casually leaned against the table standing close to the chair that was taken by a sulking and very upset looking white-furred Martian Cave Mouse.  
"Then why don't you cut him some slack, huh?", the grey-furred giant suggested, not even that unfriendly.  
It wasn't because he wasn't angry with the young mouse, because he was, but he knew that yelling at him would only make things worse.  
Next to that, the fact that the white-furred rebel admitted that he was _actually _capable of empathizing after all took off the sharp edges.  
Of course, he already knew that there was so much more to Vinnie than he showed, which was mostly a big ego and a lot of hot air, but it wasn't a secret that he tended to be a bit on the selfish side, every once in a while.  
But not now.  
Clearly not now.

And it aroused Modo's curiosity.  
Throttle was right.  
Their young bro was acting strange.  
Something was _definitely _bothering him.  
The question was; what?  
Or more to the point; was he going to tell him what it was?  
Probably not.  
But hey, a mouse could try.  
The white-furred youngster was clearly not on his guard as he usually was and so, the grey-furred giant decided that it was time for a little ambush.

"Anyway. I hope Charley and Pip find some food. I'm starving. Actually, come to think of it, I haven't heard you complain about your empty stomach for a while now", Modo started his interrogation of the most closed-off creature of this universe and beyond, his hands now in his pockets.  
"I mean, for a mouse that has eating as a hobby, you're awfully quiet about the lack of food."  
"I'm not hungry", Vinnie replied shortly, staring at a spot close to his feet with his hands folded under his chin.  
_Sometimes it was just so easy to lure him out without him knowing.  
_"Say what? I can't believe my oversized ears. You, who has a wormhole as a stomach, ain't hungry? Damn, never thought I'd see the day. So what, ya sick or something?", Modo added the last question as nonchalant as possible, his hands still in his pockets.  
It was risky.  
But it worked.  
Better than expected, actually.

"Sick? I dunno… Maybe. Guilt is a tough pill to swallow, man… so is love...", Vinnie answered absent-mindedly as his right hand reached for the medallion that was thoroughly hidden under his shirt.  
His fingers enclosed the object with shirt and all and Modo frowned in confusion as he kept a close eye on his bro, who was acting more than just weird.  
That could only mean that he was onto something, even though he had no idea what this _'something'_ was.  
Guilt?  
Love?  
_What on Mars was going on here? _

Unfortunately, the white-furred youngster seemed to realize the same thing, because he suddenly jumped at his feet with lashing tail and twitching ears.  
"Seriously, how long does it take to search a house? This is taking like… _forever_! And what is up with the smell, man? This place smells worse than Plutarkian socks on laundry day", Vinnie grumbled with wrinkled nose as he made his way to his bike.  
"I don't know about you, dude, but I'm outta here."  
Modo didn't even try to stop him, for he knew it would probably need a few grenades or perhaps even a tank to stop his young bro from fleeing from his problems.  
Like he always did.

_...and then there was only one._

Heaving a sigh, the grey-furred giant sank down on the chair as he put a dried blade of grass in his mouth.  
_Earth.  
_What a place.  
What a messed up, upside-down place.

**_…_**

Throttle slowly sat down on the wooden fence that surrounded the property, placing his feet on the lower plank and after taking a deep breath, he put on his helmet and activated the radio.  
"Throttle to Carbine, over."  
A static sound followed and as he listened to it, his mind already wandered off again.  
It felt as if he was going crazy.  
All he could think of was Charley.  
And the more he fought to chase her away, the more pressing her presence became.  
Her scent was stuck in his nose, somehow.  
Her image burned inside his brain.  
Her voice echoing in his ears.  
His heart was beating for her and her alone, but that was _not_ how it's supposed to be and the guilt…  
_Oh man, the guilt…  
_It was literally killing him.  
Hearing her characteristic, slightly hoarse voice coming over the radio only made it worse, as far as that goes.

"_Carbine for Throttle, over."_

Throttle lowered his head and his hands clung onto the fence as he tried to calm down his racing heart, which was useless, of course.  
He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before opening his mouth again.  
"Hey, babe… Just checking in for our daily report..."  
Even his voice pictured how he felt.  
Tired.  
Emotionally drained.  
But Carbine either didn't notice it or ignored it.  
Both options were quite possible, actually.

"_So what's your 20, Throttle?"_

_Okay…  
__Good day to you too.  
_It somehow surprised him that she called him by his name and not by rank, but another pang of guilt soon followed up that, in his opinion, _childish _thought.  
He wasn't being fair right now.  
This was Carbine he was talking about.  
And this was her way of dealing with everything that came with war.  
He of all mice should know that.  
He had learned this the hard way, after all.  
She distanced herself from the pain, the misery, the sorrow, from all that was negative actually, just to protect herself.  
Holding onto her rank and duty to stop herself from drowning, even if the Freedom Fighters didn't really use ranks.  
But as a former General of the Martian Army, Carbine needed that name and everything that came along with it in order to survive.  
Her duty came first, no exception.  
Only then was she able to remain on her feet.  
To have control over things that were in reality uncontrollable.

Unfortunately, she didn't only distance herself from all the bad things, but from the good things as well.  
Perhaps they were rare in the days of war, but they were still there and so important to keep the flame of hope alive.  
Good things such as friendship.  
Family.  
_Love.  
_He couldn't even remember when it was the last time that she told him she loved him.  
And he wondered...  
_Did she still love him?_

"We're still close to the place where we were when we talked yesterday. We uh… had some troubles along the way, some that needed to be handled. Something that has to do with that bounty, and all…", he explained a bit vague, not really in the mood to tell her all the details, for they didn't matter, in his opinion.

"_Oh."_

Only Carbine was able to put so much disapproval in a word as simple as _'oh' _and Throttle clenched his teeth in both annoyance and helplessness, for this was all so familiar.  
A bit _too_ familiar, for his taste.  
He somehow wished that she was still as vulnerable as she had been during their first talk, even though it had shattered his heart into a million pieces at the same time.  
But at least she wasn't the robot she was now.  
Man, she really was a mouse with two faces, which made this whole thing beyond complicated.  
And he wondered...  
_Did he still love her? _

A part of him did.  
He loved her true face.  
He probably would love that part of her for the rest of his life.  
It was that part that had made him fall in love with her in the first place.  
But he _hated _her mask.  
And it was the mask that was, increasingly, getting the upper hand.  
She was slipping away and all he could do was standing by her side, completely powerless and allowing her to drag him with her.  
And now…  
Now he was miles away from her, yearning for another woman while she was there, fighting to keep her head above water, all alone.  
It was the worst betrayal he could think of.  
_Who would sink that low?  
_He would, apparently.

The tan-furred mouse cleared his throat, fiddling with his fingers.  
"Anyway… As soon as Charley is done with searching the place here, we'll be ready to continue our path."  
He fell silent again, and despite the maddening guilt, he was still a bit annoyed by the treatment she gave him, but he knew that the best he could do right now was to ignore her ice-cold attitude and so, he opened his mouth to ask her how she and the rest were doing, but the speaker in his helmet already came back to life before he could.

"_Who's Charley?"_

Throttle frowned by hearing this question, trying to ignore the sharp tone while he was at it, but then it suddenly hit him like a meteor.  
He had never told her about Charley.  
He hadn't mentioned her name, not once.  
And he wondered why that was.  
Was it because he had left this beautiful green-eyed creature out of their conversations on purpose?  
Or had he just _casually_ forgotten to tell about her?  
_Hm_.  
If he had to be honest, it was probably the first option.  
He had this urge to keep her to himself.  
Like a… secret.  
And not like a dark and dirty secret, no…  
A secret that carried light and hope.  
A secret that made him feel weightless.  
As if he was floating.  
A secret that kept him going, even though it was tearing him apart at the same time.

But, of course, Carbine immediately felt her position threatened, even though she didn't even know Charley.  
It could be a man for all she knew, but somehow, she seemed to have an antenna for girls who only thought so much of coming close to him, regardless their intentions.  
Well, maybe she had.  
She was a Martian Cave Mouse, after all.  
And she did have a pair of antennas sticking out of her head.  
Next to that, she might be right about this one.  
About her position being threatened.  
_Was she?  
__Being right?  
_He had made his choice, after all.  
And he had chosen her.  
As he always did.  
_But did he really?  
__Made his choice?_

_Damn_, this whole thing was going to be the end of him if he wouldn't make up his mind any time soon.  
How long was he supposed to sustain this heart-wrenching conflict?  
How long before he would break?  
Yet, he didn't say any of this.  
No, he just did what he always did.  
Trying to maintain the peace, as the peacemaker he was.  
To be the wise and calm adult that he was supposed to be, although it felt as if he was stuck in the worst play ever written.  
_(A/N; ouch, now that's like slapping myself in the face, bwahaha!)  
_"She's… not that important, Carbine. Just a friend who helps us to get to California in one piece…"

_Not that important...  
_That was probably the biggest lie he had ever said out loud and his cheeks burned a bit as he stared at his feet, somehow feeling ashamed.  
But the last thing they needed right now was Carbine on a warpath.  
Still, it felt wrong.  
It _was _wrong.  
_Everything _was wrong.  
Nothing made sense, not anymore.  
It wasn't that the world was just turned upside down, no, it was twisted in these bizarre twists and turns, blurry and elusive.

"_How noble."_

_Man.  
_His beloved light-grey-furred General was extremely moody today, even for her.  
With a sigh, Throttle took off his glasses and rubbed his bionic eyes, who were in desperate need of some eye drops.  
But the small bottle Ben had given him was safely stored in his bike, which was currently still standing in the barn.  
And he didn't want to face his bro's, not just yet, because he didn't need a mirror to know that he probably looked like shit at the moment.  
They would ask him what was wrong and when he would tell them that it was about Carbine, they both would get that look on their face that practically screamed _'I told you she's bad news!' _and he somehow wasn't ready for that.

Maybe that was because deep down, he knew they were right.  
She wasn't good for him.  
This whole mask of hers was the reason why their relationship was on the rocks, but he somehow just couldn't let her go.  
His bro's didn't understand, heck, he hardly did for himself so how could they?  
But there were already so many people who had let her down.  
Who she had chased away.  
Who had given up on her.  
He couldn't give up on her.  
He just couldn't.

_No one should be alone.  
_His father had taught him that.  
To never judge and to be there for people, even if those same people did everything within their power to chase you away.  
Stoker had confirmed this.  
'_You never run. You just stay put and fight.'  
_And so he did, not knowing where to draw the line.  
Not knowing when it was okay to stop fighting for something that was already lost.  
Something that was beyond saving.  
_A lost cause..._

"Come on, babe. You know I have a terrible sense of direction, so does Modo and don't even get me started on Vinnie. The last thing we need is to get lost, right? Like I said; she's just a friend with her heart at the right place."  
So that was just a horrible attempt to lighten up the mood a bit, which failed miserably.  
No surprise there.

"_A friend huh? By the Gods, you can be so naive sometimes, Throttle."_

"And you can be so paranoid sometimes, Carbine", he snapped back without thinking, his fur bristled.  
Perhaps it wasn't the wisest thing to say, especially not with the sharp tone his voice suddenly had.  
A raw edge.  
But hearing the derogatory tone in her voice made his blood boil all of a sudden.  
Especially because this was technically about Charley.  
No one was allowed to speak ill of her.  
Not even Carbine.  
_Especially_ not Carbine.

"_You call it paranoid, I call it being realistic. You can't trust anyone who isn't ours, Throttle and you know it. Own people first, remember?"_

_Yeah, sure, own people first.  
_He might have had chosen his own people over the humans _if _the choice hadn't been rather limited after crash landing on a planet that wasn't theirs and Throttle shook his head in disbelief before he put his glasses back on.  
She really was unbelievable.  
_Own people first, right.  
_Heck, she would probably execute her own people if someone would tell her that they had betrayed her, paranoiac as she was.  
Besides, was it not her who told him that a few humans took her, Stoker and the rest in to help them?  
_Humans_, not mice.  
And that without them, they probably would be dead by now?  
Man.  
_Such a hypocrite. _

Time to change the subject, for he knew that starting this discussion wouldn't do any good to this already horrible conversation.  
Even worse, he was about to lose his patience and that was the last thing he wanted right now.  
He was simply too tired for it.  
"Whatever, Carbine. How are things over there?"  
Apparently, miracles did exist after all, because she went along with it.  
Thank the Mothers of Mars she did.

"_Still pretty much the same. Still stuck under the ground. I found some medical supplies during our last recon though. Antibiotics. Exactly what Stoker needed. It ain't enough, but it at least bought him a few extra days. Which is just as well, hearing about your… delay."_

And there it was.  
The first _real_ personal shot at him.  
Below the belt, of course.  
Carbine style.  
_Man.  
_And he suddenly had enough of this.  
He knew her.  
He knew her better than anyone else.  
There was nothing in this world that he could say or do to change the awful mood she was in now, so he might as well stop trying.  
"Is he awake?"

"_Sometimes. At least enough to mope and cry about how bored he is."_

Well, that sounded like Stoker, alright.  
And he suddenly yearned for a good talk with his mentor and coach.  
To talk to the person that came closest to a father figure after losing his real father, now years ago.  
If only to hear his voice.  
"Is he awake now? Can I talk to him?"  
A long silence followed and Throttle drummed with his fingers on his leg, trying to keep his calm. He had no idea why she wasn't answering him, but when he was about to ask her again, the radio came back to life and his heart skipped a few beats when he heard who it was.

"_Hey, rookie. How's it hanging?"_

Although his voice wasn't as powerful as it used to be, it was still his voice and a smile appeared on Throttle's face, for a moment everything else forgotten.  
Even Charley.  
He suddenly felt twenty pounds lighter and it was like a breath of fresh air.  
"Stoker! Man, am I glad to hear the sound of your voice. But I should ask you the same thing. Heard you took quite the knocking…"

"_Hey, nothing knocks this mouse down. I never run outta gas and don't you know it."_

But even though he tried to sound lightly, the pain was clearly audible in his raw voice and again, Throttle shook his head in disbelief, although there was a small hint of amusement as well.  
The guy was even more stubborn than Vinnie and that was saying something.  
And then there was his ego...  
"So what, you just lie in bed all day because of your desperate need for a beauty sleep?"

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk. Throttle my mouse, you disappoint me. You should know by now that being as handsome as I am, the last thing I need is a beauty sleep. But okay… I've gotta admit; I've had better landings. Don't tell the punk I said that."_

It was generally known that there was an unwritten, never-ending competition going on between Vinnie and Stoker, both always trying to outclass one another.  
Therefore, it wasn't the first time that Throttle heard this request and as always, he honored it.  
"My lips are sealed, coach. So, Carbine told me something along the lines of you keeping everyone out of their sleep with your whining. You _do _realize that it makes you sound like an old man, right?", he asked teasingly, still with that smile on his face.  
It felt somewhat refreshing, to have a casual conversation and hearing Stoker's voice really did him good.

"_Maybe, but you know what they say; a mouse is as old as he feels. You can fill in the rest. But enough about me. How are you and your squad?"_

_Okay.  
_So far for a casual conversation and Throttle's smile vanished like smoke in the wind by hearing the question that brought him back to reality in only the blink of an eye.  
"Well… Things are…", he started but he then trailed off again before he could tell another lie.  
It was almost a reflex to tell everyone around him that things were fine.  
Hard, maybe, but fine nevertheless.  
But the thing was; he was _everything_ but fine.  
In fact, he had never been this lost as he was now.

If only Stoker was here.  
As in; physically.  
To help him sort out this mess.  
To make him a good leader again.  
One where people could rely on, instead of this shadow of what he was supposed to be.  
But he wasn't here.  
And since Stoker was hiding under the ground along with a couple of others, he couldn't speak up his mind.  
He couldn't say the words that were meant for Stoker's ears only, for he just knew that the others were listening.  
He knew he would, if he was stuck under the ground with nothing else to do.  
So, he took another deep breath before he continued, although with reluctance.  
"...fine. Things are fine."  
A long silence followed and Throttle already started to get annoyed again because this was the second time that someone let him hanging, but then, Stoker's voice filled his ears again.

"_You're good at a lot of things, Throttle, but lying ain't one of them. But before you even start, I've cleared the room for ya. So, now it's just us, I'm just gonna ask again; how are things over there?"_

That was the opening he so desperately yearned for, but now it was there, Throttle suddenly didn't know what to say anymore.  
How on Mars was he going to explain all this to his coach?  
This mess, that was too complicated to unravel.  
Well, perhaps being honest was a good start.  
Every story had a beginning.  
So did this one.  
"You're right. Things are… not fine. Things are complicated, actually. _Very _complicated. I just… I just don't know what to do, Stoke... I screwed up. Big time. And everything just keeps spiraling down, no matter how hard I try to fix it…"

Honest or not, it still didn't make any sense, but nothing did at this moment.  
His head was just as messy as this whole story was.  
Chaotic.  
For the first time in his life, he had lost sight of who he was.  
Of what he wanted.  
Not just that.  
He had lost sight of his vision, his mission, his everything.  
So, _yeah…_ he was lost alright.  
Wandering to find the right path, but each one he chose had either dead ends or awfully dangerous boobytraps, forcing him to go back to the dark and impenetrable forest that was called his mind.  
A place without light.  
Without hope…

"_You're making no sense whatsoever. So why don't you start at the beginning, huh?"_

"It's a long story, Stoke, and time is ticking, remember?"

"_Nah. We've got some time. I ain't going anywhere, not for a little while and the meds are doing their job for now, so why the rush, kiddo? Just take a deep breath and tell me everything and don't even think of leaving out the juicy details. I've always loved a good story. So spill it. And that's an order, rookie."_

Throttle let out his breath as a small smile curled his lips.  
_That's Stoker for ya.  
_He climbed off the fence and sat down on the ground with his back resting against the wooden planks. After making himself comfortable, he picked a small flower that was growing in the green and fresh grass underneath him.  
And while his tan-furred fingers explored the soft and unfamiliar material, his gaze fixated on the soft pink leaves, the apprentice started his story, as requested by his master.  
A story about a mouse named Throttle, who fell hopelessly in love with a human named Charley.  
A story without a written ending, let alone a happy one.  
But it wasn't always the ending that mattered.  
Sometimes, the journey was more important than the destination.  
As it was now.

'_All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.  
__All one has to do is keep moving to find out along the way, for the way is the destination itself.'_

And so our brave warrior did.  
He kept moving, determined to find his way.  
And one day, he would come home.  
Wherever that may be.

* * *

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.  
The tension just keeps rising.  
It has to explode someday, right?  
Maybe it will...  
Hehe.

Also a glimpse inside Throttle's and Carbine's '_relationship_', hope it all made sense to you.  
This story is quite the challenge to write, to say the least, especially in a language that isn't my own, but I'm doing the best I can to explain things as well as I can with the least possible spelling errors.  
I can only hope you guys are still following me.

Oh my gosh, the number of words of this chapter is going through the roof, so I'm gonna stop talking.  
Hope you guys liked the chapter.  
Feel free to leave a review once you're done, always very much appreciated and sorry for my chattiness, hehe.

Later dudes!

Ps: for the TMNT-fans out there, Rob Paulsen is doing another live signing this Saturday for TMNT only, along with his co-actors. So check out his Instagram for this once in a lifetime opportunity.


	30. Chapter 30

Hey you guys...

Sorry, took me a while.  
I had to overcome the biggest writer's block I ever had.  
A nasty one, too.  
Affected my self-esteem, big time.  
But eventually, victory was mine again.

And then I wrote a chapter of almost 11.000 words.  
I mean, how does that even make sense?  
It's just crazy how my brain works, hehe.  
I'm still a bit insecure and unstable at the moment, not sure why.  
But hey, at least I wrote something again. :')

And thanks for the reviews.  
They always help me to keep going.  
So thanks for that.  
Your support means the world.  
Oh, and if you have questions about the story, please PM me.  
I'm more than happy to answer them, as long as it doesn't involve spoilers, that is.

A little side-note before we begin; there are gonna be a few drastic changes in my life, starting Monday.  
Therefore, I will have less time to write, so there might be a possibility that the updates take a bit longer than usual.  
But know that I'll do everything within my power to combine this new lifestyle with my writing.

Anyway, here's the next chapter, the longest one I ever wrote, I think.  
But after long consideration, I've decided to post it as one chapter instead of two, in order to do full justice to its content, if that makes sense.  
I hope you like it.

Feel free to leave a review, always very much appreciated and till next time, my friends.

Later!

* * *

**Chapter 30**

"_Hm. You weren't kidding when you said that things are complicated. That's quite the story you've got going on over there, rookie."_

Throttle let out his breath, still staring at the small flower in his with a leather fingerless glove covered hand.  
"I know…"  
It was strange, but throwing all his cards on the table made him feel a little bit better.  
As if he could breathe again, the tight strap around his chest, the one that seemed to be there twenty-four-seven, now loosened up a bit.  
It was just a little bit.  
A _teeny _tiny bit.  
But it was enough, for now.  
"I'm just… so _lost_, Stoke. I've never been this lost. I barely recognize myself. I just don't know what to do, a thing I'm not used to… At all…"

Much to his shock -and annoyance-, tears were suddenly burning behind his eyes and the tan-furred mouse quickly cleared his throat as he shifted his weight a bit uneasy.  
He hadn't cried in a very long time, the last tears he had shed for the loss of his parents now years ago.  
Shortly thereafter, the tears had just dried up to never return again.  
He wasn't even sure if he was still able to cry with his biological eyes now replaced by bionic ones.  
But the feeling was there.  
That alone was already shocking enough.

After pulling his legs up, he wrapped his arms around them in a feeble attempt to comfort himself, to stop the tears that were threatening to overwhelm him.  
He didn't want to cry, regardless if he was physically able to it or not.  
And not because he was ashamed.  
No, it was simply because he was scared that he wouldn't be able to stop once he got started.  
There was just too much pain.  
Too much confusion.  
Too much… _everything.  
_If he would allow himself to break now, he knew that he would never be able to pick up the pieces again.  
He just didn't have the strength to do so.

And so, he didn't.  
Break.  
He just stared at the horizon, forcing his heart to go numb.  
It was the only way to bear this.  
To bear the consequences of his choice…  
That _awful _choice…  
No one should ever be facing this kind of choice.  
It was just cruel and degrading.  
Especially when one decided to follow the mind instead of the heart.  
Kind of like he had done.

"I think I've made the wrong choice, Stoke…", he whispered, already feeling guilty by saying this out loud before the last word had left his mouth and yet, he finished the sentence.  
He has this sudden urge to say it out loud.  
This was probably the first time that he spoke about his doubts about him and Carbine, his doubts about their fucked up relationship that didn't bring even the slightest spark of happiness.  
If one could call it a relationship in the first place.  
But despite the guilt, it somehow felt strangely liberating.

"_You keep saying that you have a choice, but what if you don't?"_

Stoker's voice was calm as ever, but the words somehow didn't make sense.  
As if they weren't spoken by him, for it went against everything Throttle had learned from none other than the master himself.  
The very same one who was now at the other side of the radio, breathing softly, listening patiently to how his apprentice had messed up.  
"But... there's always a choice, right?", the tan-furred mouse asked with a frown on his face, his gaze still fixated on the blue sky that defined Earth, although the image didn't really make it to his brain.  
It was more like he was staring right through it, completely caught up in this mess that was called his mind.  
"You taught me that yourself…"

"_I'm not saying there ain't no choice, because yes, there always is. What I mean is; what if the choice has been made for you?"_

Throttle's frown got deeper and he narrowed his eyes behind his glasses as he turned his gaze away from the sky, now staring at a spot close to his feet.  
"You just lost me there, coach. What are you trying to say here?"

"_Sometimes, it's fate that decides. That makes the choice for you."_

This still didn't make any sense and the tan-furred mouse suddenly felt a pang of annoyance.  
Honestly, why was he surrounded by people who loved to talk in riddles?  
Why wasn't there someone in his inner circle who just said things as they were?  
Was he cursed or something?  
_Dammit.  
_"Do you enjoy being this vague? Because I don't."

"_Well, actually, I do. It helps to build up the tension. Keeps you focussed and all…"_

Throttle took off his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath to keep his calm.  
Sometimes, this mouse was even better in crawling under his skin than Vinnie and by the Gods, they all knew that was saying something.  
It was somehow hard to believe that it was possible for someone to be even more annoying than that white-furred loudmouth, but then there was Stoker, all willing to prove him wrong.  
"Well, consider me focussed. So please… enlighten me."

A soft chuckle came over the speakers and still annoyed, the tan-furred mouse almost told his leader and friend that he was glad to hear that at least one of them was having a good time right now, but he stopped himself right on time and put his glasses back on his nose with a sigh.  
It wouldn't be fair to take out his frustration on Stoker, for it wasn't his fault.  
How could it be?  
The guy wasn't even here.  
No, it was him that was to blame and him alone.  
But before he could possibly drown in his self-loathing, the brown-furred leader of the Martian Resistance snapped him out of it when he finally began to share his view on this extremely tiring and painful situation.  
And it took a turn he never saw coming.

"_You remember those Mind-Walking lessons I gave you?"_

"Of course."  
How could he forget?  
The lessons had made a big impression on him, taking a Mind-Walk in particular.  
It was both crazy and mindblown to take a look inside someone else's head as if it was your own.  
As if their memories were yours.  
As if their thoughts were yours.  
Well, maybe they were, for a moment.  
Or perhaps for all eternity, for he could remember every Mind-Walk he had taken, back on Mars.  
And because of that, their memories and thoughts had become his as well.  
_Yup_.  
Crazy indeed.

"_Well, then you know about the small part in our frontal lobe, the part that is connected with our antennas, the part that makes us able to communicate through telepathy, right?"_

"Yeah, I believe it's called the Inpartior…", Throttle mused out loud, digging in his memory.  
It was long ago when he had his last lesson, but for some reason, they were all burned into his brain.

"_Bingo. I'm impressed that you still remember that, by the way. The history of Mind-Walking ain't exactly fun to learn, after all. It's quite boring, actually… Heavy stuff."_

Perhaps that was true, but most parts had been very interesting and besides, someone was underestimating himself here.  
"Lucky I had a pretty good teacher", Throttle smiled warmly, and he meant it with everything he had in him.  
Good in crawling under his skin or not, it was a fact that without Stoker, he wouldn't be the mouse he was nowadays.  
A leader where people could rely on.  
Well, if he wasn't having mental breakdowns because of some human, that is…  
_Still_.

After losing his father, whom he had idolized, he had been lost for a little while.  
Clearly on the wrong side of the track, wandering to find the right path.  
It was Stoker who found him, that day in the bar, when Mars still had bars.  
It was Stoker who saw something in him.  
Who believed in him.  
Who gave him what he so desperately needed at that point.  
A father figure.  
Someone to lean on.  
Someone who took him by the hand, if only for a little while.  
And here they were.

"_Sucking up doesn't suit you, boy."_

Now it was Throttle's turn to chuckle.  
Despite his ego, the brown-furred mouse always had a bit of trouble with being praised.  
It made him feel awkward, or something like that.  
But that didn't stop him from showing his appreciation towards the older mouse, simply because in his opinion, Stoker deserved the credits.  
The guy was smart, crafty and not to mention persistent.  
Thanks to him, Mars had survived the war as long as it did.  
_Man_.

It must have broken his heart, to know that the planet he loved so much, the planet they _all_ loved so much, their home, was now lost instead of free.  
It was all he ever fought for, a free Mars, but he had lost.  
They all had lost.  
But, as always, nothing was able to bring Stoker down.  
Even now, when he was critically injured and stuck under the ground with little to no medical help, his home forever gone, he was here.  
Talking to him.  
Helping him.  
Seriously, the mouse was a true hero.  
And just as easily distracted as Vinnie was.  
"So, the Inpartior…", Throttle smoothly brought the conversation back to the subject.

"_Right. Look, if you remember the name, then you also remember that there's still much to learn about this particular part of the brain. It's still not known how it works exactly and with Mars including its scientists being gone, I think we'll never know either. So let's stick with the original thesis for now, which is that it's able to connect, right? And not just for communication. It's like a… sixth sense. Extremely sensitive for the people around you. It also seems to play a big role in the complicated phenomenon that's called love…"_

Throttle nodded, even though Stoker wasn't able to see it.  
But he remembered this from their lessons.  
That a very long time ago, when Martian Cave Mice still walked on all fours, they communicated differently than they did nowadays.  
There was no spoken language, no words, no…  
Only body language and the Inpartior.  
It was all they had and yet, it seemed to be enough.  
But what had ancient history to do with this whole thing with Charley?  
Or maybe more to the point…  
"What has this to do with fate?"

"_Well, I know this is gonna sound weird, but someone very wise once told me that everyone has a life partner. Like a… soulmate. A person with whom you are destined to be with."_

Once again, he was right.  
It _did _sound weird.  
Even beyond that.  
"That sounds a lot like spiritual jibber-jabber to me, coach", Throttle muttered, shaking his head.  
But he had to admit, even though it sounded like total bullshit, he was intrigued at the same time.  
Deep down, he knew that there had to be more than what they could see with their bare eye.  
Something someone had once given the name _'fate'_.  
He knew, mainly because he felt in every fiber of his body that he was meant to fight evil till his final breath.  
To protect those who needed protection.  
But a soulmate?  
He wasn't sure if that was something that really existed.

"_That's what I said too, at first, when I was young and foolish. But then I immersed myself in Martian history and learned the true meaning of the Inpartior. It still wasn't enough to convince me, but then I met… you know who…"_

Oh, he knew alright.  
_Harley_.  
Vinnie hadn't been the only one smitten with the outgoing and friendly light-brown-furred mechanic slash nurse with eyes as blue as the sky here on Earth.  
But was she really the right example to use when it came to fate?  
After all…  
"Look, I don't wanna sound insensitive here, but she was with…"

"_Now what did I say about staying focussed?", _Stoker cut him off sharply, and Throttle fell silent again, knowing he was on dangerous ground here.  
This was a very touchy subject for the brown-furred mouse, after all.  
One he never spoke about.  
It was a miracle, to say the least, that he brought it up by himself.  
But it was clear to him that even though he did, he still didn't want to talk about it.  
Not really.  
So perhaps it was better to change the subject again and bring it back to the main problem, which was his current suffering.  
"So, uhm… What are you saying? That Charley is my life partner? My so-called soulmate?", he eventually asked, thereby breaking the awkward silence.  
Luckily, Stoker answered the question without hesitation, his voice now calm again.

"_I think that's what your Inpartior is trying to tell you. Your extreme behavior is nothing but ancient instinct. It's how we choose our partner ever since we exist, after all. It's in our DNA. And that's a fact that has been scientifically proven, so it's not just spiritual jibber-jabber. This shit is real, boy, no matter how weird it may sound. A little bit of fate, a little bit of Martian biology and voila, here we are."_

"But she's a human. As far as I know, humans don't have this part in their brain. I mean, she's closed like a stuck zipper. I can't read her. Not in the usual way, that is… So how do I know that what you're saying is true? How do I know that it is, indeed, more than just casual love?"

"_Well, that's easy. Take her on a Mind-Walk."_

Throttle snorted in response.  
Sure, just take her on a Mind-Walk.  
Great idea.  
If only things were that simple.  
"I can't come close to her. Not _that_ close. I'm not sure if I'm able to control myself if I do... "

"_What are you afraid of? That you'll kiss her? Since when is that a crime, huh?"_

It was a fair point.  
But Stoker seemed to forget about one thing.  
One light-grey-furred thing.  
A thing he wasn't able to forget as easily as Stoker just did.  
_Man.  
_This conversation was both worrying and a relief.  
Worrying because Stoker didn't tell him -as expected- that he belonged to Carbine.  
That this whole thing with Charley was just a whim, after being with the same woman for like, forever now.  
That he was taking a stray, searching for something that would make him feel alive again.  
Kind of like an early midlife crisis, or something like that.  
But he didn't tell him that.  
_Obviously, he didn't._

It somehow complicated matters even further, to the possible extent.  
It meant that whatever was happening here, was real.  
Maybe even physically explainable.  
_With a little touch of fate...  
_Which meant, in turn, that he couldn't run from this.  
After all, no one could escape from destiny.

At the same time, it felt extremely liberating to talk about his problems, especially to discuss them with someone who had a monopoly on wisdom on Martian biology, which perhaps made him able to unravel this mysterious thing that was called his mind.  
To bring some peace and understanding in this chaos that was slowly driving him crazy.  
If only he wasn't so scared for the answers Stoker would give him.  
But he asked the question, the one that was burning on his tongue, anyway.  
_No guts, no glory.  
_"What about Carbine? Where does she fit in?"

"_She doesn't."_

Oh.  
"Why not?"

"_You want an honest answer to that question?"_

No.  
"Yes."

"_Because she's only holding you back."_

Oh.  
Just like he had told Charley.  
That Max was only holding her back.  
That she needed to let him go in order to bloom.  
'_Let's just say that I too held something close to me that wasn't healthy.'  
_That's what he said to her, when she had asked him about Carbine.  
But what he didn't know back then, was that he was _still _holding her close.  
Well, he knew now.  
Why though?  
Why couldn't he just let her go?  
"How do you know?"

"_Because if she was the one, we wouldn't be talking about this right now. Besides, I know a lost cause when I see one, kiddo."_

"She's not a lost cause, she's just… lost", Throttle immediately contradicted, as if he was programmed to do so whenever people spoke ill about Carbine.  
Maybe he was.  
Brainwashed.  
Who knew?  
It would definitely explain a lot.

"_Now you're just being naive, Throttle. And as your friend and leader, I feel obliged to tell you that she's not just lost, no matter how much it pains me to admit, for I care about her as well. But the truth is; she's drowning and none of us will be able to save her, simply because she won't let us. Not even you. And since you can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved, there's only one thing left to do and that's keeping her from dragging you down with her. I know this sounds cheesy and cliche, but you need to follow your heart. Choose for yourself, instead of others, like you always do. Just for once… put yourself first."_

Throttle swallowed with difficulty, for Stoker's words made an impact.  
It was what Modo and Vinnie were trying to tell him for years already and usually, it went into one oversized ear and just as quickly out of the other.  
But now it was Stoker who told him this and it felt different, somehow.  
Maybe because he had never said this to him, ever before.  
But now he did and _holy_ _shit_, it was like a knife stabbing his heart.  
Hearing Stoker of all mice saying this made it more real.  
Tangible.  
His doubts.  
His feelings.

His heart was trying to tell him this all along.  
And now, Stoker -and apparently, his Inpartior had joined the party as well- confirmed it and he couldn't deny it any longer.  
They just weren't meant to be, no matter how much it pained him to admit it.  
The tan-furred mouse lowered his gaze and slowly took off the glove of his right hand.  
A silver ring engraved with Martian symbols on his index finger came into view and he just stared at it for a while.  
But then, he took a deep breath and put the glove back on.  
He needed to stay focussed.  
After all, Carbine wasn't the only one who was standing in the way of this theory that was supposed to make sense.  
"So tell me. How can I possibly put myself first when I'm obviously second choice?"

"_What do ya mean, second choice?"_

There was genuine confusion audible in Stoker's raw voice and Throttle shook his head in disbelief.  
For the smart mouse he was, the brown-furred leader could be so slow on the uptake sometimes.  
"She slept with Vinnie, remember? She chose him over me. I'm sure you know what that feels like."  
He closed his mouth with a clap, cursing himself for letting that last part slip.  
That wasn't supposed to come out for more than one reason.  
Two reasons, to be exact.  
One; it was him who had made the choice, not her. And by making his choice, he had driven her straight into Vinnie's arms.  
Two; it was no secret that Stoker was truly heartbroken when he found out about Vinnie and Harley.  
Well, he had pretended to be fine with it, but Throttle knew better.  
He knew Stoker, for instance.  
Better than anyone else.  
And he had seen the pain in his brown eyes.  
_Anguish_.

He remembered his confusion back then, not understanding this severe reaction.  
But he guessed it made sense now.  
Maybe Stoker was right.  
About everything.  
Maybe Harley was his life partner.  
Maybe Charley was his.  
After all, the thought alone of losing Charley was enough to feel the pain he had seen in Stoker's eyes.  
Still, there were so many things that didn't add up.  
But first things first.  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that", he sighed apologetically, rubbing his stinging eyes under his glasses.  
He was just so tired.

"_No, you shouldn't. But to answer your question; no, I didn't forget about the punk. How can I? No one forgets about the punk, after all. Even my memories of him are as loud as he is. The kid knows how to make an impression, I have to give him that. But I just don't think that you're second choice. I think he is."_

Throttle's heart skipped a beat when he heard the last words Stoker said.  
In a weird and twisted way, it kind of made sense.  
It happened after that horrible night, after all.  
That night he had turned her down, brutal and cold.  
And even though she kept denying it, he had hurt her, he knew he did.  
He had seen it in her eyes.  
The eyes told everything.  
They never lied.

And he also happened to know that sometimes, when being in pain, people did stupid things in an attempt to forget about it.  
To ease it.  
To flee from it.  
To do everything instead of just facing it.  
Embracing it.  
_Hm_.  
This could get interesting after all.  
"You think she used him as a rebound?"

"_I do."_

Oh, Modo's momma.  
Whether he liked it or not, Throttle's lips curled into a small smile, he just couldn't stop himself.  
_Holy_ _shit_, karma really was a bitch.  
But his smile vanished as quickly as it came.  
Rebound or not, the fact remained that something was going on between them.  
Assuming that Stoker was right about all this, that is.  
After all, he might be smart, but he was still a mouse.  
And mice made mistakes.  
Even the smartest ones.  
Look at him, for instance.  
He was known to be smart.  
And yet, here he was.  
_Man. _

Either way, whatever the reason may be, Vinnie was standing between him and Charley, that he knew for sure.  
_And so was Carbine…  
_Shaking his head, he quickly ignored this whisper in the wind.  
He wasn't ready to face reality, not just yet.  
He still had too many questions.  
"Okay, let's just say that everything you tell me is true. Then what on Mars is Vinnie's role in this story? Does he even have a role? I mean, if I have to believe him, it's all about the competition."

"_Nah, it's not. He just wants you to believe that."_

"Really, huh? Well, I guess it worked then."

"_He has always been good with words. Don't tell him I've said that."_

"Not to worry. We're barely on speaking terms right now. Something is eating his tail. If only I knew what…" Throttle trailed off again, stretching his legs.  
His muscles protested loudly after being in the same position for too long and he leaned forward, grabbing his toes to stretch them.  
"But if it isn't about the competition, what is it, then?"  
Deep down, he was kind of scared to hear Stoker's answer to this.  
What if it had something to do with love as well?  
That they were both madly in love with this woman, this strange yet beautiful creature with the most amazing eyes he had ever seen?  
This woman, who was kind and friendly.  
And a total badass if she had to.  
She was simply perfect.  
Was it even possible?

He knew that in the past, there had been a few rare cases of male mice who had shared their female, but Throttle already knew that wasn't for him.  
And certainly not for Vinnie.  
He was way too egotistical to share.  
He hardly shared his food, let alone a woman.  
And what about Pip?  
What was her role?  
He was absolutely sure that she had one.  
But what?  
All he knew was that she was doing something to Vinnie.  
Could it be love?  
_True _love?  
Like a… life partner?  
_Man.  
_So many, _many_ questions.  
So few answers.

"_Well, here's what I think, based on what you've told me and the knowledge we have about the Inpartior. I think he too met Charley for a reason and therefore, he's attracted to her the same way you are. But before you're gonna freak out, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's love. Even though there are a few rare exceptions, one can only have one life partner. And I truly believe that she's yours. He needs her for something else and I think it has something to do with…"_

"Harley", Throttle finished the sentence for him, knowing that his coach wasn't really able to say her name out loud.

"_Yes."_

"But if one can only have one life partner, and assuming that Harley was yours and Charley is mine, then why did they both end up with Vinnie? That doesn't really add up, Stoke. Unless he has some magnet for other one's life partners, somewhere thoroughly hidden… I can't say I'm surprised if he does though…"

"_Sometimes, you meet the right person at the wrong time. Sometimes, other things have to happen first. Life's a journey, Throttle, you know that. Everything happens for a reason, whether you call it fate or not, and eventually, it will all make sense. But only when the time is there."_

Tabbing his fingers against his lower lip, Throttle stared into the distance again, his already tired mind almost overwhelmed with all this new information.  
It was vague and hardly tangible, but it did make sense, somehow.  
Vinnie needed Charley first to find the right path and maybe, just maybe, that had something to do with Harley and Pip.  
In his turn, he needed this time to cut loose from Carbine.  
Sure, it was perfectly logical.  
There was only one problem.  
He didn't buy it.  
Well, not really.  
"I dunno, Stoke… It sounds… far-fetched. Like a fantasy."

"_Then make it real. Take her on a Mind-Walk. Talk to the punk."_

Throttle let out a humorless laugh.  
"Ha, sure, talk to Vinnie. You know how he is, man. He'll never open up to me because he never does. He is, and I quote, too cool to be vulnerable."

"_Ah, come on, since when do you actually believe what's coming out of that big mouth of his, huh? We all know that's just a lot of hot air. He trusts you, boy. Use the gentle approach. Give him space. Don't push him. And then he will talk to you. Trust me."_

"Are we talking about the same Vinnie right now?", the tan-furred mouse asked a bit suspiciously.

"_White fur, red eyes, young, wild, irresponsible, obnoxiously loud, big ego and even bigger mouth to compensate his major inferiority complex?"_

"That sounds like Vinnie, alright…", Throttle chuckled, but then he grew serious again.  
"But seriously, how can you be so sure?"

"_Because we've talked. A lot. About his parents, the war… about… her… There's so much more to him than he shows. Again, don't tell him I said that. I mean, what if he finds out that I actually like him?"_

"We will never hear the end of it, that's for sure. And what if I kill him?"

"_Say what now?"_

Throttle smiled a bit sad as he folded his hands behind his helmeted head, crossing his legs by the ankle.  
"Well, I've noticed that when it comes to Charley, boundaries fade. And to be honest, there were a few occasions that I wanted to strangle Vinnie with his own tail and this time for real. I'm just… so _angry_ all the time and frankly, it scares me. I've never felt this kind of anger before."

"_I'm kind of surprised that he's still breathing, hehe. I mean, I know how strong this primal instinct can be. It can take over control in the blink of an eye. What puzzles me is; how did you manage to control yourself when you saw them together?"_

Throttle gazed up to the sky, his hands still behind his head.  
"Well, crazy enough, I felt happy for him at first. The anger came later, but it wasn't as strong as before. I just… he deserves to be happy, don't you think? After everything he has been through. The same goes for Charley. Next to that, I made my choice, or at least, I thought I did. All things considered, I figured that I had no right to be angry at him. But deep down, I am."

A sharp, hissing sound suddenly tickled his eardrums and he almost jumped on his feet, in a way convinced that it was the sound of a grenade that was ready to explode.  
But right before he did, he suddenly realized that it was Stoker who was sighing excessively loud and he pulled a face, annoyed by the sound and by the fact that he could be so stupid sometimes.  
Not to mention paranoid.  
A grenade, yeah right.  
_Geez.  
_"You're depleting, Stoke."  
But his coach ignored that comment and immediately went for the attack.  
Perhaps an armed grenade wasn't such a stupid thought after all.

"_You know what your problem is? You're too good for this world. You care too much. Call it a gift, but it's a curse at the same time. You always put yourself on the sideline. But listen to his. Mars is gone. Forever. Things will never be the same again and I dunno, maybe that's a good thing. But Earth is still breathing. Barely, maybe, but it's still here and it needs our help. In turn, it offers us a new chance. A new beginning. Fight for it, Throttle. Because the universe is pretty scarce on second chances. It can be over before you know it. I didn't fight for you know who and look what that brought me. So I suggest you don't screw it up. You know what to do."_

"And what if I lose control?"

"_You won't. Because you have a good heart. Besides, a little risk never killed anyone, the same goes for a few well-placed punches. The punk will live. He's resilient. But if you're really that worried, why don't you ask Modo to stick around, huh? He'll be able to stop you if things go wrong. Look, I know it sounds like total BS, but trust me when I say that all of this will work out. Eventually. Take the time you need to figure it out. And when the time is there, you'll know it."_

Throttle bit his lower lip as a silence followed.  
It wasn't an awkward one.  
Or a loaded one.  
No, it was a peaceful one.  
Even though all this was almost too much to comprehend, even though it complicated matters even further, it still felt good to talk about it.  
Next to that, it was somehow good to know that there was at least some kind of explanation about what was happening to him, regardless if he believed it or not.

That fact alone eased his troubled mind.  
It took away some of the guilt because if Stoker was right, all this wasn't really his fault.  
It was fate.  
Meant to be.  
_With a little touch of Martian biology...  
__  
If _he was right, that is.  
And that was something he still needed to figure out.  
All he needed was some time.  
Time to let it sink in.  
And once that happened, he would take action.  
No matter the consequences.  
Because Stoker was right about one thing.  
He always put himself on the sideline.  
Maybe it was, indeed, time to change his methods.  
Maybe it was time that he stood up for himself.  
For a better future.  
Because right now, there was nothing he wanted more.

'_All I want to do is trade this life for something new…  
__Holding on to what I haven't got…'_

_**…**_

After saying goodbye to Stoker, along with the promise that he would do everything within his power to be in California as fast as possible, Throttle shut down the radio.  
His gaze lowered and he looked at the small flower that was still in his hand.  
He then heaved a sigh and threw it away before he climbed back on his feet.  
Stretching the sore muscles in his back, he looked over his shoulder, to see that the rest, including Pip and Charley, were waiting for him at the beginning of the unpaved path that led back to the main road.

As he walked over to them, he gave himself a firm mental shake, determined to let things be the way they were, for now.  
To give himself the time he needed to let Stoker's theory sink in without rushing it.  
And in the meantime, he might as well be the person they all needed him to be.  
A leader where they could rely on.  
Enough with the wallowing in self-pity.  
Enough with the misery.  
_No more.  
_For now, he needed to focus on their mission, namely; getting to California in one piece.  
And so he did.

"So, did you find something to eat?", he asked with his husky voice as he joined the small group.  
His bike was standing next to Modo and he gave his grey-furred bro a nod to thank him for taking his bike outside.  
Modo just gave him a warm smile in return and while Throttle mounted his beloved ride, Charley answered his question.  
"Not unless you want to risk a serious food poisoning", she sighed before holding up a bottle of water.  
"We found this though. So it wasn't entirely useless."

Throttle nodded, although he didn't actually agree with her on the useless part.  
In his opinion, their search was the opposite of useless, whether they had found the bottle or not.  
Because by the looks of things, Pip hadn't tried to do anything to Charley, neither had she tried to run away from them.  
This confirmed his theory that she was, indeed, to be trusted.  
But there was no need to say that out loud.  
And so he didn't.

His eyes darted from the human female with her marvelous green eyes to the young girl with braided black hair, who sat on her bike, staring at Vinnie with a certain intensity he couldn't place, but the white-furred youngster completely ignored her by staring at a spot close to the front tire of his bike.  
_Okay_.  
This wasn't awkward, at all…  
It was clear that even though Vinnie seemed to accept the situation as it was, or something like that, there was still a lot of tension lingering in the air between them.

_Ah well.  
_At least he wasn't ripping her head off.  
That's a start.  
He just needed some time to get used to her.  
_To find out what she was doing to him…  
_"Well, let's just keep our eyes open. I'm sure we will find something on the way, eventually", the tan-furred leader suggested optimistically, trying to lighten up the mood a bit.

As Modo and Charley mumbled something in agreement, Pip leaned forward on her bike, her elbow resting on the tank as she used her hand to support her head.  
"I like your bike", she casually pointed out while her two-colored eyes darted over the cherry-red racer.  
"Me too", Vinnie answered shortly, not even bothering to turn his head to look at her.  
Not just that, there was a sharp tone audible in his voice as well.

Well, actually, his whole appearance practically screamed _'leave me the fuck alone!'.  
_But that didn't stop Pip from a further attempt to communicate with the stubborn and maybe a bit cranky white-furred mouse.  
Well, Throttle couldn't say that it surprised him, not after the conversations he had with her.  
She was like the queen of provoking.  
"It looks fast."  
"It is."

After a short silence, Pip got back upright and laid her hands on the handlebars of her deep-black bike, a somewhat innocent yet challenging look on her face.  
A look that could only mean trouble.  
And yet, Throttle didn't intervene.  
No, he just waited to see what would happen.  
"Not as fast as mine, of course."

That _did_ take Vinnie's full attention and he now slowly turned his head towards her, his -also- two-colored eyes narrowed.  
"What did you just say?"  
"Oh, come on. You must have heard me with those big ears of yours", Pip answered sweetly, her eyes turned up to heaven for a moment before she looked back at him with waving lashes and pursed lips.  
_Oh, man.  
_This girl really was a teaser.

Vinnie placed his right hand behind him and leaned a bit closer to her, the tip of his tail already dancing.  
"I don't think I did. My ears may be big, but they usually don't listen to bullshit. So maybe you can repeat that... _Pippa..._", he suggested just as sweetly, although his usual high-pitched voice was now low and even slightly trembling.  
But again, Pip either ignored the signs or she didn't see them, but Throttle suspected it was the first.

Either way, she too leaned a bit closer to him with a teasing smile on her face.  
"Well, since you're asking so politely… _Vincent_... I was just pointing out the obvious here."  
"And that is… what exactly?"  
"That my bike is faster than yours."  
_Oh boy.  
_Trouble indeed.  
Again, the tan-furred leader considered to intervene, but he eventually decided not to and he folded his arms as he looked at the two with a slightly amused look on his face, deep down hoping that they wouldn't kill each other.  
_Ah well_.  
He could always intervene if they tried.

"Oh, really, huh?", Vinnie snorted as he got back upright and put on his helmet.  
"Why don't we put it to the test?"  
As if on cue, his bike started her powerful engine to strengthen his words and Throttle quickly hid his smile.  
Knowing Vinnie, he had probably practiced these moments with his bike, teaching her how to react on certain words and quotes.  
Anything to be the cool guy.

Pip, however, wasn't exactly impressed.  
No, she was looking at Vinnie with a so-called investigative look, rubbing her chin but eyes twinkling with vice.  
"I dunno, man… I mean, you don't strike me as the _'good loser' _kinda guy…"  
It was obviously a poor choice of words, or perhaps a very well chosen one.  
After all, it were precisely the kind of words that could tick Vinnie off, a thing she must be aware of.  
Of course, she was, slick as she was.

And indeed, the white-furred adrenaline junkie took the bait.  
He almost fell off his bike when he heard her say the L-word, a word that no one was allowed to say out loud in his presence.  
Well, not if it was about him, that is.  
"Loser? _Loser?!_ Sweetheart, I _never _lose", he exclaimed with his eyes wide open, deeply offended by the fact that she would even _suggest _such a thing.  
Pip nodded with a supposedly impressed look on her face before she put on her helmet.  
"Well, you know what they say…", she started innocently, perhaps almost lazily as she slowly turned the key, glancing at Vinnie out of the corner of her eye with a somewhat smug smile.  
"...there's a first time for everything."

Before Vinnie, or any of them for that matter, could respond, she started her bike and immediately sped away, laughing loudly.  
The young mouse blinked a few times, but he then seemed to realize what was happening here.  
"Oh, hell no…", he muttered and while his bike popped a wheelie, he closed his visor with a look on his face that was the definition of determined.  
As soon as his front tire hit the ground, he gave chase with dangerous speed, leaving the rest of the small team behind in a cloud of dust.

Throttle coughed as he waved his hand in an attempt to clear the air so he could breathe properly instead of eating dust.  
He then shared a meaningful look with Modo before he shrugged his shoulders a bit helpless.  
"Kids these days."  
"No control", his grey-furred brother agreed as he folded his arms with shaking head.  
"Do they even know where they're going?", Charley wondered out loud, following the two with her eyes.  
"Good point, Charley-girl", Throttle chuckled and after giving her a quick look, he started his bike.  
"Come on, let's follow them before they're gonna get us all lost."

_**...**_

Meanwhile, Vinnie was pushing his bike to the limits to get past Pip, but even he had to admit; she had some serious biking skills.  
And to be even more honest; her bike was, indeed, fast.  
Of course, it wasn't _really_ alarming.  
Maybe she was good, but he was better.  
He always was.  
No one was able to beat him.  
Him, the velocity atrocity.  
Motocross champion of the galaxy.  
He just had to play a bit more… _dirty_.  
_Biker Mice style.  
_And so he did.

His eyes scanned his surrounding for something that could help him to get back in lead, where he belonged, instead of eating dust of a human girl that was as intriguing as much as she was infuriating.  
He soon spotted just the thing he needed and with a small smile, he used his weight to swerve to the right.  
That took Pip's attention and he could see her looking at him in her side mirror.  
When she saw what he was doing, she too took a gentle curve to the right in order to stay right in front of him, giving him no room to pass her.  
The young mouse shook his head, despite his anger towards her somehow amused by the fact that she, apparently, thought that she could outsmart him.  
But no one ever could.  
Or his name wasn't Vinnie van Wham.

Zigzagging to avoid the many pits and holes in the road, Vinnie kept a close eye on her to see what she was doing.  
But she remained where she was, and that was right in front of him, completely unaware of what he was planning.  
_Good_.  
And now, it was time to shine.  
He pushed a small button on his left handlebar and with a soft zooming sound, two heavy laser weapons came out of the front of his bike next to the mouse-shaped headlight.

Still with a smile on his face, he swirled even further to the right and aimed the laser at the streetlight that stood close to an abandoned truck.  
"_Boom_", he whispered as he took the shot, which was, of course, perfect.  
The laser hit the pole right above the asphalt and with a creaking sound, it tilted to the left.  
When the metal couldn't carry the weight any longer, it just snapped like a twig and the pole landed on the back of the truck with a loud thump, the glass of the light shattering into a million pieces.  
Exactly like he had planned.

Pip, who had been driving next to the truck when he took the shot, looked at her right, probably a bit startled by the rain of glass before checking his position in the mirror again, but only to see that he wasn't behind her anymore.  
No, he was speeding towards his self-made ramp and right before his front tire touched the metal, he fired his jets and pulled back his handlebars.  
His beloved bike flew forward as if it was fired by a catapult, her engine roaring loudly and soon, the tires came loose from the ramp.  
Adrenaline rushed through his veins like wildfire, chasing away his restlessness, his anger, his troubles, his _everything_ and he howled happily when he felt the wind pulling on his clothes.  
_This was living. _

"Aaaaoooww, airborne Martian Thunder coming through!"  
When he flew right above Pip, she looked up and thanks to her open visor, he was perfectly able to see that she was far from amused.  
Which was exactly what he had hoped to see.  
It was tempting to make a few somersaults to annoy -or impress- her even more, but eventually, he didn't, simply because he would lose too much speed if he did.  
So, he just waved at her with a big smile, which worked just as well because, by the looks of things, it made her even more pissed.  
It was kind of cute, actually.  
Did she honestly think that she could actually beat him in a race?  
_Ha_.  
_Right.  
_Never challenge a van Wham.  
It would always lead to one thing.  
Failure.  
_Hehe_.

Shaking his head in both amusement and disbelief because of her naivety, he started his descent and soon thereafter, the tires made contact with the ground again.  
His bike wobbled because of the rough landing, but he soon had her back under control and now it was him who watched Pip in his side mirror.  
When he saw her fuming eyes, he pumped his fist in the air, all hyped up because of this awesome and smoothly executed stunt.  
"Aaaoww, the baddest!"  
"Hey, foul, you can't violate a course hazard that way, come one!", she yelled at him, her cheeks red with anger as she still tried to come closer, which was, of course, no use.

Vinnie smiled innocently as he adjusted his mirror.  
"I _am _a course hazard, sweetheart, not to mention one of your major scenic attractions", he called over his shoulder with wiggling eyebrows as he gained even more speed.  
"Besides, this is street racing, Martian style! If you wanna challenge me, you better get used to it, doll."  
"This is _Earth_, pancake ears, not Mars! Therefore, you're cheating! No Earth bike can do what you just did, so how is this even fair?!", Pip shouted back.

Despite his breakneck speed, she was still able to stay close enough for him to hear her, which made her a worthy opponent, _that_ he couldn't deny, even though he wanted to.  
"Fair, 'ey? Well, here's a lesson for ya; life ain't fair. And _you_, pretty lady, are just a sore loser."  
And after giving her one of his most charming smiles, he turned his attention back on the road, determined to stay in the lead.  
At this point, he would probably do anything to teach her a lesson.  
It was the least she deserved after all the trouble she had given them.  
After trapping him like a rat and not just one but two times.  
All things considered, he was being polite here.

But when he looked a bit further ahead, he suddenly saw something in the middle of the road, some kind of silhouette.  
A bit confused because he couldn't place it, he leaned forward on his bike, his eyes narrowed in an attempt to distinguish the black shadow of the rest of the obstacles on the road.  
_What the…  
_But as he rapidly came closer, he soon saw what it was and his heart skipped a few beats.  
_Holy shit._

With both hands and feet, he hit the brakes and his bike beeped loudly in protest because of this sudden and quite rough treatment, but the young mouse ignored it, for he didn't exactly have a choice.  
With this speed, he couldn't just go around it, especially since the road they were currently driving on was filled with holes and pits, not to mention the abandoned vehicles that were scattered over the different lanes.  
He needed to plan every move to make sure he wouldn't end up dead after hitting one of the obstacles, but there simply wasn't enough time, so this was kind of his only option at this point.

But since he was driving like he was being chased by a hungry Memphant, meaning; like a madman -or in his case, a madmouse-, his braking distance was longer than usual and he soon realized that if he wouldn't intervene, he was going to hit her.  
_Her_.  
A middle-aged woman, sitting on her knees in the middle of the road, holding something in her arms.  
Something that looked a lot like a child.  
_Shit_, what was she doing there anyway?

Well, right now, it didn't matter.  
Right now, he needed to do everything within his power to stop this wild ride.  
Clenching his teeth, he used every muscle in his body to make a 90 degree turn and immediately threw his weight around.  
His bike leaned to the left and his knee now almost scraped over the warm asphalt, but that was the least of his concerns.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally came to a halt and after pulling his bike back upright, he placed both feet on the ground.  
For a moment, all he heard was his own breathing, the sound reflected by his helmet and he opened his visor, for it somehow made him a bit nervous.  
As the smell of burning rubber filled his nose, the sound of another pair of shrieking tires announced Pip's presence and he looked at his left, seeing the black bike speeding towards him with high speed.  
Pip's eyes were wide open in shock and fear as she came straight at him, clearly doing everything within her power to stop before someone might get hurt.  
Like him, for instance.  
But the thing was, she was already too close.  
There just wasn't enough time for him to get out of her way.  
_Oh shit._

In a reflex, Vinnie closed his eyes and braced himself for impact.  
But impact never came and after a few seconds of watching his life passing in front of his eyes, he opened the left one and peeked through his eyelids, only to see Pip skidding to a halt only inches away from him.  
Pfew.  
Close one.  
_Awesome._

But not everyone agreed with that.  
Pip most certainly didn't.  
"Jesus, do you have a deathwish or something? I almost crashed into just now, holy shit", she spat out as she practically ripped off her helmet, her eyes fuming in pure fury.  
Seeing her anger, that was triggered by him, made him forget about the woman for a moment.  
He simply needed all his focus to enjoy this moment, to enjoy that the tables were turned.  
That now, it was him who spoiled her plans instead of the other way around.  
That now, it was him who was pulling the strings and oh boy, he loved it with every fiber in his body.  
And so, to just fan the flames, his lips curled into a smug smile.  
"I win."

Her reaction was priceless, if he may say so.  
Kind of as if he just slapped her in the face and she gasped for air, but before she could start her rant, another voice beat her to it.  
"Help me! Please, help me! He's dying! Oh god, he's dying! I don't know what to do!"  
Vinnie suddenly snapped back to reality and remembered why he had to stop in the first place and he turned his head to the right.  
Soon, his gaze landed on the woman closeby them and an unsettling feeling washed over him when he looked into her wide-open eyes.  
He wasn't sure why, but there was just something about her that gave him the chills, which was weird because he usually wasn't that easily impressed.

His eyes lowered, mainly to avoid her burning gaze and he now saw that she was, indeed, holding the motionless body of a child in her arms.  
He couldn't see his face, but the clothes he wore were dirty and torn, so were hers.  
"Help me, please, help me", the woman sobbed and he looked up again, seeing how she wiped her greasy blond hair out of her small face.  
"Oh god, please do something… I can't lose him… He's all I have…"

She was now crying out loud, rocking the body of the small boy in her arms and the despair that was written upon her face cut right through his soul.  
That made him wonder…  
Why was he still standing here?  
Staring at her, like she was some kind of freak?  
Well, in his defense, her popping up out of nowhere in the middle of the road was kind of… _unexpected_, next to shocking, especially because he had almost run over her like a goddamn tank.

His brilliant but with adrenaline overwhelmed brain just needed some time to process all that.  
But time wasn't really on his side now, and most certainly not on the woman's side.  
She obviously needed help and he, as a Freedom Fighter, was obliged to give her that.  
That's what he did, after all.  
Helping and protecting those who needed it.  
And being cool and badass while he was at it, of course.  
_Of course._

But when he stepped off his bike, a warm hand grabbed his arm.  
"Don't."  
Vinnie looked at the hand on his arm first before he slowly looked up, straight into the peculiar eyes of Pip.  
They were kind of intriguing, he had to give her that.  
It made him feel less insecure about his own eyes, for he now could see that it had a certain… _beauty_.  
_Ahum_.

Not liking the turn his thoughts were taking right now, he quickly gave himself a firm mental shake and he suddenly noticed that next to being peculiar, her eyes weren't fuming anymore.  
No, the anger was now replaced with something that looked a lot like fear and it confused him, for she didn't strike him as someone who was easily frightened.  
The race they just had was the proof of that.  
Driving at such incredibly high speeds was not reserved for those who were powered by fear.

Next to that, he could sense… no, even _smell _that her body was on high alert.  
It practically breathed adrenaline, a scent he was all too familiar with.  
This, in turn, alerted him as well and he felt how every muscle tightened, how his heartbeat increased even further, how a slight tingling tickled his stomach…  
_Hm_.  
Something was, without a doubt, going on here.  
_But what? _

"Don't? Why not? I mean, look at her. She needs our help. We can't just stand here and do nothing", he told her as he quickly shook her hand off his arm, for it distracted him more than he liked to admit.  
He didn't want her near him, let alone allowing her to touch him, but when he did another step into the woman's direction, she already grabbed his arm again and this time in an even tighter grip.  
Perhaps it would've hurt if he wasn't the badass he was.  
But it were her words that made him stop again.  
Or maybe it was the compelling tone in her husky voice.  
Or the slight tremble that gave away her nervousness.  
Well, whatever it was, he stopped to listen to her, he just couldn't help it.  
"Yes, we can. In fact, we need to get the hell out of here now we still can. Right now."

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Vinnie looked at the woman, searching for a sign that would explain Pip's, in his eyes, excessively paranoid reaction.  
But he didn't see one.  
Well, not really.  
With her burning gaze now fixated on the small boy in her arms, all he saw was a helpless, desperate woman that was mumbling to herself as she was rocking back and forth.  
_Dude_.  
He couldn't just let her sit there, now could he?  
What if the kid could still be saved?  
What if he had another chance to be the hero he so desperately needed to be to feel alive and wanted?  
What if he threw away a most desirable opportunity to prove Pip wrong, if only to oppose her?

But then there was his instinct.  
His instinct, which was screaming that something wasn't right here, although it felt more like paranoia than instinct at this point.  
It didn't really matter, actually.  
Instinct or paranoia, the urge to prove that Pip wasn't to be trusted was ten times stronger than any other feeling and so, he looked back at her with cold eyes, all ready to tell her that she could go to hell, but then, the sound of purring engines already distracted him again and he looked up, even though he already recognized the sounds.

Throttle stopped right in front of him and opened his visor.  
His gaze wandered over Pip's hand on Vinnie's arm, the desperate look on her face, Vinnie's cold and distant facial expression, his twitching left ear…  
"What is going on here?"  
But before the two young rascals could answer his question, a high shriek close to his ear made him flinch, his eardrums vibrating by the sudden and toe-curling high sound.  
A sound that, as it turned out, came out of Charley's mouth.  
"Oh my God, we need to help her!", she called out as she jumped off her bike.

Throttle followed her gaze and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a woman sitting in the middle of the road, holding a boy in her hands, a boy that couldn't be much older than ten years old.  
A ten-year-old boy that didn't move.  
He too jumped off his bike, but something made him stop, all of a sudden.  
It was just a feeling, a hunch, but it was there and he had learned not to ignore his instinct.  
Something wasn't right here.  
It was too... _quiet…  
_Kind of like a calm before the storm.

In the meantime, Charley wanted to rush over to the woman, clearly unaware of the hardly palpable tension that hung in the air, but Pip let go of Vinnie and grabbed Charley's arm instead.  
"No, stop, it's a trap…", she started, but Charley already cut her off, her green eyes fuming as she looked down at the young girl.  
"Take your hands off me, now."  
When she didn't, the human female yanked herself free, but now it was Throttle who did a few steps forward as he already reached out for Charley, although he was looking at Pip.

"What do you mean, a trap?", he asked urgently, but Charley was, again, already attempting to get to the woman, thereby escaping his grabby hand and as another result, Pip ignored his question as she ran after the older woman.  
"No, Charley, you don't understand! I fell for this trick once and it ended up badly, trust me..."  
"Trust you? Funny you mention that. After all, how can we trust you after what you did to us?", Vinnie now meddled in the conversation, but despite his anger and disbelief, his tail wrapped around Charley's wrist to stop her.  
Pip's face darkened, so was Charley's as she looked at the white-furred tail around her arm but Throttle suddenly noticed that Modo wasn't standing next to him anymore.

A pang of rare panic made him gasp for air, his body on high alert now because there were so many things happening at the same time and just like that, it wasn't under his control anymore.  
Just like that, this situation had got a life of its own and he knew from experience that when this happened, things were about to get ugly.  
He quickly looked up, seeing that the grey-furred giant was already on his way to the woman, who was still softly sobbing for help.  
_Dammit_.  
This wasn't going very well.

"Big fella, wait!", he called after his friend as he quickly followed him.  
Vinnie came into movement as well, letting go of Charley in the process while he hissed something at her, something that sounded a lot like _'stay where you are'.  
_He probably knew just as well as Throttle that she wouldn't listen, but right now, their bro was their number one priority.  
Because bro's always had each other's backs, no matter their differences.  
_Always._

"No, guys, stop! You're walking straight into an ambush!", Pip called after them, but Modo didn't stop and so his bro's and Charley didn't either, though Throttle still tried to talk some sense into his older bro.  
"Modo, we don't know what's going on here, man, maybe we should think it through before we…", but Modo wasn't having any of it.  
"All I see is a lady in need and as my old grey-furred momma used to say; _'You never let a lady down.'_"

The tan-furred leader opened his mouth again, but Vinnie was faster, immediately taking his chance to prove his point, capricious as he was.  
As if he hadn't just tried to keep Charley out of this, an action that told Throttle that he didn't trust this either.  
But, as expected, that fact was conveniently forgotten all of a sudden and all that mattered now was to prove himself right.  
_Damn that ego of his.  
_"He's right, ya know, and so is his mom. We need to help her. Pip is just talking shit."  
Still, it didn't elude Throttle that his young bro was just as restless as he was, confirming his earlier thoughts, namely; his instinct wasn't the only one in a state of readiness.

Modo's instinct probably said the same, it had to, but unfortunately, the life lessons he had learned from his beloved mother had much more value and therefore credibility to him than his instinct and so he proceeded his way to the helpless woman.  
"Guys, please just listen to me! I'm not shitting you here! Come back!", he heard Pip yelling at them and the tone in her voice made Throttle reach out to Charley again, but she suddenly quickened her pace.  
Again, all he grabbed was air and before he could stop it, they all reached the woman, whether he liked it or not.

Charley immediately knelt down next to her, so did Modo.  
"What happened, ma'am?", he asked friendly as he reached out to her, while Charley already examined the boy in her arms, as far as that was possible with the woman clinging onto his body.  
Throttle's unease grew and he shifted his weight as his gaze went from the woman back to their surroundings.  
He felt the same restlessness he had felt right after they crashed on this planet, but he knew there was nothing he could say or do to stop these two from helping a woman in need because that's who they both were.  
Always willing to help.  
_Still_.  
Something was very, _very _wrong here.

A weird sound suddenly took his attention and he looked down at the woman again, so did Vinnie.  
Her body was shaking, her face now buried into the child's neck, making it unable for them to see her facial expression.  
The same muffled sound reached his ears again and he frowned, for he couldn't place the sound, even though it sounded so familiar at the same time.  
"He has a pulse", Charley suddenly breathed and she looked up to Throttle, relief written upon her face.  
"A strong one, too."  
She then looked back at the woman and laid her hand on her back.  
"Ma'am? I know it's a lot to ask right now, but you need to give us some space so we can examine him..."

Again, that weird sound was heard and it suddenly clicked.  
She wasn't crying.  
She was _laughing_.  
And indeed, the woman slowly lifted her head, laughing louder and louder and Charley pulled back her hand as if she was on fire, for the smile on the woman's face bordered dangerously close to insanity.  
Modo slowly rose on his feet with a frown on his still worried face and Throttle quickly grabbed Charley to pull her away from the woman, his heart almost exploding out of his chest.

Vinnie already reached for his gun, but just when his fingers touched the soothing metal, loud clicks were heard and the young mouse froze, so did the rest.  
"Hands where I can see 'em, boys", an unfriendly voice ordered.  
Throttle quickly looked around him, but immediately saw that they were completely surrounded by a group of humans, both male and female.  
And it was soon clear that these people didn't come even close to the ones they had left behind in the little town, so weren't their weapons.  
_No_.

These people were dangerous.  
He could see it in their eyes.  
They were all empty.  
They lived without hope.  
And where there's no hope, there's no life.  
And where there's no life, there's no compassion.  
No love.  
Only hate.

He then looked at the woman again, who was back on her feet as well.  
And so was the boy, who, as it turned out, wasn't unconscious or wounded after all.  
No, actually, he looked quite lively, with that same insane smile on his face like his mother.  
_Great_.  
Just _great_.

"Fools. You should've taken your friend's advice while you still could. She did", the woman told them as she pointed at something behind them, still with that disturbing smile.  
"I've never seen someone flee as quickly as she just did. Wise, but cowardly nevertheless..."  
The mice and Charley followed her finger and looked over their shoulder, to see that Pip was, indeed, gone.  
And so was her bike.

Vinnie let out a groan, his tail lashing through the air as his raised hands clenched into fists.  
"She bailed on us… She just _bailed_ on us...", he whispered angrily before he glanced at Throttle with a look that said it all.  
_Here we go...  
_"Of course she did. _See?! _I told ya we couldn't trust her!"  
"Oh momma…", Modo sighed in defeat as he too raised his hands, a sad look on his face.  
Throttle let out his breath and he shared a worried look with Charley as they both raised their hands as well, obviously thinking the same thing.  
Did they make a mistake by trusting Pip?


End file.
